Lilacs
by Lady-Sif13
Summary: Mina Harper, a bright Ravenclaw student, is facing financial struggles. Lucius Malfoy is willing to assist. Has the battle of Hogwarts changed him? Has he learned from past mistakes? Can the recent divorced wizard stand the charms of a simple muggle girl?
1. Prologue Chapter 1 - Introductions

**Prologue**

 _July 2, 1998_

"It's enough, Lucius! I'm leaving you!" Narcissa screamed across the dining room, to her agitated husband. She was fed up. After the battle of Hogwarts, their family had been put under investigation by the Ministry of Magic. How could they not? They had all followed Voldemort willingly. Of course Lucius made the case that they were simply doing it out of fear of being murdered, which cleared them of all charges. Her husband had always been a good liar. But Narcissa had seen too much death and pain to stay with him, even if they were granted a clean slate. She thought of Draco, who came very close to being murdered by the Dark Lord.

"What will the wizard community say if you do?" Lucius spat back, pacing back and forth with his hands clasped together behind his back.

Narcissa averted her gaze, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent Lucius from seeing her upcoming tears. That was it, that was what he cared about. What the wizard community would say. Not that he would lose her.

"I don't care." She retorted, rather plain. "I just….don't care. I am leaving. I am no longer submitting Draco to your backwards beliefs. We are going to absorb the muggle culture as much as we can."

Lucius scoffed. "As if you truly feel different about those damn mudbloods! You are just doing this so the Ministry will get off your back!"

"I am doing this for our son! Which you almost got killed!" The woman shrieked as she threw a glass vase in Lucius's direction. It missed him by a few inches.

"Then get out, you crazy bitch!" Lucius yelled at her, his anger stirring now that Narcissa almost harmed him during their many, many fights. Once they had come back home after the battle, it had been nothing but stress and arguments. Draco locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Plus they were denied a new house elf, after the whole Dobby incident, so Lucius had to search for a competent new staff, consisting of humans. Which turned out to be harder than he thought.

Draco shuffled into the room, his hair messy and his face wet with tears. "Mom..dad..stop.." He begged them, his voice hoarse from crying. Narcissa rushed to his side and hugged him tightly, patting his head as she glared at Lucius.

"Draco, pack your things, we are leaving. I've had enough. Go on, pack up." She said soothingly and kissed his cheek before letting him go. The boy stared at her, then at his father, before going back upstairs to get a suitcase. When he came back downstairs with a packed suitcase, Lucius put a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, please stay on contact? Send me an owl so I can…" But Draco shrugged off his hand and followed his mother without saying a word to Lucius. The door slammed closed behind them and finally the man realized that his complete life just walked out on him.

 **Chapter 1**

"Miss Harper…" An annoyed, lazy voice resonated through the dungeon. A dark-haired girl sat straight in her seat and bowed her head.

"Yes, professor Snape?"

"Tell me, do you consider your work in this class to be of such a high level that you no longer need to pay attention?"

A few Slytherin students snickered, loving the fact that Mina was getting reprimanded by their teacher.

"N-No, sir." The girl whispered and she felt the upcoming tears. Don't cry, don't cry, don't give him that satisfaction, she thought.

"And tell me, have you ever learned a thing called 'manners' in your household?"

Now the girl did look up and there were obvious tears in her eyes. Why did he have to do this? Why did he have to talk about her home? It was a well-known fact that Mina's father left her and her mother when she was young, after a messy divorce. Many Slytherin students teased her for being of lower class. Her mother wasn't rich and it wasn't even sure if Mina would be allowed to stay at Hogwarts, since her and her mother could not make the tuition. Let alone books and supplies. Books and supplies were things the school could supply, but the tuition still formed a problem. After the battle of Hogwarts, things changed for the school, financially. Students had to pay tuition now. They had to rebuild big parts of the school and asking for tuition helped the school do that.

"10 points from Ravenclaw, do not let me catch you speaking to your classmates again." The wizard stated but averted his eyes with a frown.

"Yes, sir." Mina replied as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her friend Carla, a blonde blue-eyed girl with large eyes, was unable to sit and watch this injustice go by.

"Professor, I don't think it's fair to…"

Snape narrowed his eyes at her.

"Miss Candlewick, I do not remember asking you for your take on the matter, now be quiet before I deduct even more points from your house. Miss Harper will stay after class and that will be that."

Carla sent a sympathetic look Mina's way, as if she was trying to say that she was sorry to have gotten her in more trouble, but Mina gave her a reassuring one back. It wasn't her friends fault that their teacher was so cruel.

The rest of the hour Mina pretended to listen and make notes, but it wasn't more than scribbling what she did. Potions had never been her favourite subject, Snape's need to humiliate her only made that worse. As told, the girl stayed after class and once her classmates left, her potion teacher beckoned to the chair in front of his desk, meaning for her to sit there.

"Miss Harper," Her professor started but turned silent once he saw the girl look at him. There was sadness in them, a disappointment, a silent judgment for the break of trust. He sighed.

"I assume you are aware what transpired here during the battle of Hogwarts?"

Mina nodded and tilted her head, wondering what his professor was going on about.

"Y-Yes, sir, Harry Potter fought Voldemort and won. It made the school safer for students like me, with muggle parents."

Snape nodded. "Correct. And I assume you know how I survived?"

Mina swallowed hard, this was turning to a very private conversation. Yes, she knew. Neville Longbottom, her herbology teacher. He reached their potion teacher in time and used rather difficult magic to save him from his wounds. It humbled Snape greatly, that he was saved by the person he picked on all these years. At least that was the story, Mina didn't believe it humbled him at all. Instead of telling the truth, the girl just nodded to tell her teacher that she knew what was told of that day.

"Very good. It is not my place to judge. It is my place to teach. One would think past mistakes would prevent history from repeating itself. But an old fool is an old fool."

"Sir?" Mina had no idea what he was talking about. She had a hunch, but she felt like he owed her a real apology and not a riddle.

"I know you have manners. What you lack is motivation. You are a bright young lady, miss Harper. If you'd put in the effort."

"You make me nervous, professor. And then I mess up." Mina was amazed at herself, she wasn't often as open, especially not with someone that made her that uncomfortable.

Snape laughed. At first Mina didn't recognize the sound, seeing as she never heard it before, but she saw a small smile on the face of her potion teacher and his normally stern eyes turned a tad softer.

"You remind me of a young boy, that made a very good career for himself. A bright young woman must not let her struggles stand in her way, she must overcome them, yes?"

Mina smiled at him, knowing what he meant. So what if he was being an obstacle for her? She had dealt with bigger things in her life and would deal with bigger things yet. Perhaps giving Potions a bit more of her attention would be good, it couldn't hurt.

"Off with you, we don't want you late for your appointment with the headmaster, don't we? I trust he found a fitting solution for you, miss Harper."

The girl stood up and nodded, packing her things.

"Thank you, professor. I will try harder. I promise."

Outside of the dungeon, Carla Candlewick was waiting for her friend, expecting her to come back in tears. When she saw that Mina was perfectly fine, she tilted her head in curiosity.

"I'm taking he didn't yell at you?"

"No, he was alright, told me to just….well, no he never yells, does he? But it was unpleasant either way! Did you write down the homework by any chance?"

Mina didn't want to tell Carla about what was discussed between her and professor Snape. She loved Carla, but knowing her the story would be told all over the dormitory. And she could imagine he wouldn't want the other students to know that he was human.

Luckily this distracted Carla enough to start complaining about the amount of homework their potion teacher had given them. She focused on what the girl said and scribbled it all on a piece of parchment, once they were back in their dormitory.

Later that day, she entered the office of her headmaster, professor Dumbledore. The old man smiled with a twinkle in his eyes.

"There you are, my dear, right on time." He said gleefully and gestured at a chair in front of his desk. As the girl turned to sit there after greeting the headmaster, she saw that they were not alone.

A man with long blonde hair and grey piercing eyes was sitting on a small sofa near the desk, clutching a cane in his two hands as he watched them. He wrinkled his nose a tad, as if he was smelling something unpleasant. The man stood up and his long black robe fell to the ground. Mina could see his was rich, arrogant and incredibly attractive. She instantly hated him.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lucius Malfoy, your new sponsor. If you live up to my conditions, that is." He said in a hushed, but rather demanding tone.

A bit awkwardly, Mina shook his extended hand, swallowing hard as she felt his leather gloved hand on her own.

"Nice to meet you, sir." The girl replied and gave her headmaster a look of confusion. Dumbledore smiled at her.

"Mister Malfoy heard about your conundrum with your funds, my dear, and he is willing to help you out. He is offering you a job on the weekends."

"Quite so," Lucius agreed. "You will work as a servant in my manor, help the rest of the staff where you are needed. On top of that I wish a demonstration of your schoolwork once a week. I expect you to keep your results high while under my care and should I see any outspoken talent for a certain subject then I shall tutor you myself once a week."

Mina got tears in her eyes as she fumbled with her hands.

"T-That's awfully generous of you, sir." She whispered and Malfoy snorted. Dumbledore's eyes started to twinkle again.

"Well, my dear, this is not a one way street. You see, mister Malfoy is very grateful that he can prove to the board and to this school that he has a whole new look on the muggle community." Dumbledore told her with a wink and a smile.

Mina had to do her best not to let out a giggle, cause by the look on Malfoy's he was rather displeased with this bit of information being shared.

"Right, well, cannot dilly-dally here all day, some of us have actual work to do, I will see her Saturday in my manor, Dumbledore, seven o'clock on the dot. You have my floo."

And with those words, the wizard stepped into the fireplace and disappeared into a sea of green flames with a final discontent nod.

Mina let out a little sigh of relief and finally let out the chuckle she was holding in. Dumbledore gave her a wink again and made a gesture towards his door.

"There, no more worrying about your tuition, my dear, now go and join your fellow-classmates in an afternoon of frivolity." He said kindly.

"Thank you, headmaster, I am so happy with this chance. I will make you proud."

Once she was back in her dormitory, Mina allowed herself to fall back on her bed with a yelp of joy. This was a golden chance and she was so happy that it was handed to her. She would make them all proud, even that moody mister Malfoy. She pointed her wand at a corner of the room and concentrated.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver red panda jumped out of her wand and skipped about the room as Mina's smile got even wider.


	2. Chapter 2 - Chocolate

"Hello miss Harper, right on time as usual." Dumbledore said in a cheerful tone when Mina came in his office that Saturday morning.

"Good morning, professor. I am sorry you have to be here on your free Saturday morning." She said as she adjusted her backpack-strap. But he waved a bit dismissive and chuckled. "Not at all, not at all. My dear, do meet madam Collins."

A woman of age, comparable to professor McGonagall , extended her hand to Mina.

"Abigail Collins. Miss Harper, I will take you under my wing while you work for Lord Malfoy. You may direct any questions to me and address me when you need anything. Now, let's get to the manor so you can get acquainted with the place. Go through the fireplace and wait for me to arrive. Do not touch anything." The last part came out rather stern.

Mina averted her eyes and wondered if her heritage had something to do with this, but it would be foolish to ask. So instead of doing so, she gave her headmaster an uncertain look. The wizard gave her an assuring nod and the girl picked up some floo powder before travelling to Malfoy manor.

The large mansion impressed her so much that for a few moments Mina forgot to mind herself. She stumbled out of the fireplace and hooked her ankle behind a little table that was poorly placed. With a gasp, she was able to catch a large vase almost falling from it. She put it back and looked around to make sure nobody saw her.

Once she thought she was safe, she started to wipe the soot from her outfit. By doing that, she was suddenly very aware of it. For today she picked a sweater-like red dress with a pair of black leggings under it. The dress hugged her forms nicely, but now she wondered if this may be a poor choice for such a posh place. There wasn't much time to discuss this, madam Collins came out of the fireplace as well and raised her brow at the moved table near the fireplace. Mina averted her eyes, hoping she wouldn't comment on it.

"Right, to the kitchens, my dear, we have a lot to go through." She directed Mina and the girl followed with a smile. "I have a uniform ready for you, your day will begin at 6 in the morning. We all have breakfast together and then I will divide the tasks of the day. You get an hour to eat at lunchtime and your day will end at 6 again. On both Saturday and Sunday you are allowed to stay here for dinner with the rest of the staff."

"That is wonderful, thank you." Mina stated as she kept gazing at her surroundings. The mansion really was huge. They walked through a long hallway, covered in expensive paintings and other decorations. Malfoy was a fan of little tables with vases, which Mina grew to hate already. She saw many of them break in the nearby future, if she wouldn't be able to pay more attention to that. They arrived in a large kitchen with large tables and a few hardworking servants, cleaning up the dishes from that morning and getting ready to prepare lunch.

They ate at the large wooden table that was placed in the middle of the kitchen. Usually the staff used the table to prepare food on, if the counter wasn't big enough, but it served well as a table to eat at as well. Mina met the rest of the staff during lunch. Lucy, a red haired girl that was here temporary after finishing at Hogwarts, to sort out her career path. She helped with keeping the place clean, stocking the bathrooms and changing the bedroom sheets. Simon, a blonde young man with bright blue eyes, he took care of groceries and supplies. Richard helped him with that, a man in his thirties, brownish hair and brown eyes, a weather-beaten face covered in black and grey stubble.

Madam Collins informed Mina what her own tasks were, she cleaned the rooms that Lucy didn't clean and supervised the others. "So I am very happy you are here to join us, dear, because this place is huge, as you've seen. If you take a few of the rooms to clean, it will give me a bit of breathing room." She told Mina with a wink. "We also have a gardener, Duncan, but he rarely eats with us, he prefers to be on his own. You might meet him next week, he isn't around for a few days." She explained further.

After lunch, madam Collins gave Mina a blue dress with a white apron and a white headpiece to keep her hair together. Then she went over the house-rules with the girl. "And if you have any more questions, direct them at me and not at Lord Malfoy, you are not to disturb him. Now I will show you to your room and you can take the rest of the day to get better acquainted with the manor. Dinner is at 6 here in the kitchen."

Madam Collins then showed Mina to a small room on the first floor of the manor. It was a very simple room, a bed, a small desk and a closet for any clothes she may have brought. "Welcome to Malfoy manor, my dear." She then stated not unkindly and left Mina in the room to get settled in.

Mina hung her uniform in the tall closet, so she could put it on first thing in the morning. Then she unpacked her backpack. She brought a pair of fuzzy slippers, she had an extra pair at Hogwarts and figured it would be smart to leave them here, so she couldn't forget them anymore on weekends. Also a pair of pyjama's, an extra toothbrush and some other toiletries.

When she got to the bottom of her backpack, a smile played around her lips. She found a small box of chocolates. Mina purchased them from a luxurious chocolatier in Hogsmeade and wanted to gift them to Lord Malfoy as a thank you for his generous offer. Maybe she could make him some tea and bring it with the chocolates. With this idea in mind the girl went downstairs and asked Lucy when their Lord took his daily tea and biscuits.

"Usually in the afternoon, why do you ask?" The girl asked, her green eyes squinting at Mina. This made her a bit reluctant, why was this girl so unkind to her?

"Eh, I wanted to ask if I could bring it to him, so I can thank him for his offer." Again the girl squinted at Mina. "You see, I work here on weekends in exchange for my tuition fees at Hogwarts. My name is Mina. Mina Harper."

"Hm, I know. Lunch, remember? Nice to meet you. He takes his tea strictly at three. If you want to bring it that's fine by me, he mostly takes that chance to complain. I'll show you what you need to take with you."

Lucy showed Mina the tray they used and what the girl should add to avoid getting yelled at. Mina noted it on the notepad she took with her and kept her thoughts about this to herself. Why would you yell at your staff for not bringing tea correctly?

Once she had everything jotted down she thanked Lucy and went on her way to explore the rest of the manor. In her notepad she made a floor plan of all the rooms so she would be able to remember it better. After that she explored the amazing gardens behind the house. There was a maze made completely out of perfectly trimmed green hedges that Mina wanted to explore immediately. But she knew she'd get lost within a few minutes, with her luck and clumsiness. On the other side of the garden was a rather large pond with a terrace near it. Oh, it would be lovely to have tea or lunch out here. Between the maze and pond was the nicest kept and green grass she ever saw, with flowerbeds and several shrubs and small trees surrounded it all. When she saw a particular flower Mina smiled and went to pluck a few small twigs for later.

After a light lunch and some instructions for the following day, Mina was free to prepare her plan. In the kitchen she filled a large glass halfway with water and put the flowers in it. Then she filled the small kettle with boiled water, put a cup with saucer on the tray and instead of the usual plate with biscuits she placed the small box of chocolates on the tray. Mina took the tray and a small saucer with different types of tea with her to the study Lord Malfoy sat in. After a knock she was invited in.

Lord Malfoy seemed rather surprised to see Mina there, the muggle-born girl he hired to help the staff out during weekends. He wrinkled his nose as if he smelled something dirty as he gave her the glance over. "Miss Harper? I am surprised to see you here. Out of uniform."

Mina's confidence sank to her shoes and she made a few vowel sounds. "I-I.." She swallowed hard and placed the tray and saucer with tea on his desk. Again Malfoy gave her the glance over but slower this time.

"Sir, I wanted to thank you for your kindness, I brought you a gift. I don't start until tomorrow officially. I eh.."

"An act of kindness."

Mina wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question and felt so awkward that she started to blush.

"Do you want me to leave, sir?" She asked in a raspy voice, close to tears. Malfoy opened his mouth to confirm this but then noticed the glass with the flowers. He raised a brow and leaned over to smell them.

"Lilacs?"

"I thought they would brighten your day a little. My mother used to put the flowers all over the house, it smelled so lovely when we got home from school and…eh…Let me pour you some tea."

Lucius sat back as the girl poured hot water in the small cup and picked Earl Grey for a flavour, again inspecting how Mina looked.

"We?"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"You said 'when we got home from school'. Do you have a sibling?"

"A brother, sir, but we are no longer in contact with each other, sadly."

Lucius just hummed and picked up the tea cup once Mina was done pouring and preparing the tea. He blew in the water to cool it off. Mina opened the box of chocolates and placed it back onto the tray, turning to leave the room.

"Just a moment, miss Harper, it would be a shame if you didn't get to taste your own gift, hmm?" Lucius said as he attempted a kind tone. He wasn't sure why he suddenly wanted to be kind to her, probably because of what she told about her brother. Narcissa leaving him and taking Draco with her still haunted him every day. He knew what it was like to miss a loved one.

Mina gave him a weak smile and took a chocolate out of the box. Lucius did the same and they both ate the piece of candy. Mina closed her eyes in enjoyment and let out a small hum without realizing it. Lucius took the chance to look her over again, taking in all the curves her dress showed off so well. He felt something happen to his body and he cursed himself mentally for allowing this dirty muggle-born girl to get him all excited. He picked up his tea, which cooled off enough to drink, and took a big gulp.

"Right, off you go, I'm sure you have enough to do."

"Yes, sir." Mina stated softly and looked down in disappointment, hoping he would have at least said he liked his gift.

Lucius hesitated, but did not speak up as the girl left his study.


	3. Chapter 3 - The first day of work

The sound of her alarm woke Mina up the next morning, from a rather heated dream about the Lord of the household. She woke up with bright red cheeks as she realized all the activities that went on in the dream.

"Get it together, Minnie." She whispered to herself.

As she refreshed herself at the small sink that was in her room, she smiled. Minnie, it was what her brother used to call her. Since she told Lord Malfoy that they no longer had contact, she missed him again. But alas, neither her or her mother Sarah had his phone number or address. It was impossible to find him if he didn't want to be found.

Telling herself to stop being silly, Mina put on her uniform and tucked her hair underneath the hair piece. Once she tied her apron, she went to the kitchen to have breakfast with the others.

"Good morning, miss Harper, I trust you slept well?" Madam Collins greeted her and Mina smiled as she confirmed this.

"Yes, I slept lovely, thank you. Can I help you with anything?"

"No, dear, the table is set but you may help me with the dishes afterwards. Once that's done I will give you a list of tasks for the day."

Breakfast was delicious. There was freshly baked bread, freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit, cheese, marmalade and eggs. Mina thought herself lucky, thinking back on all those times she and her brother had to settle for porridge before they attended Hogwarts. If mister Malfoy agreed, perhaps she could invite her mother over for a day one weekend in the future.

She admired her mother a lot, she had to raise two kids on her own with very little income and had to deal with the fact that they were both born with the gift of magic. Her brother attended Hogwarts before Mina but never pursued a career in magic. Mina resented him for it. Their mother worked so hard to put Clint through school and now he didn't even put it to good use. Last she heard of him, he was gardener somewhere. Thinking of her brother made saddened the girl and with wet eyes she listened to the instructions madam Collins gave her.

"Are you alright, dear?" The woman asked once she was done with her list and knew the girl was lying as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Of course, I will start dusting in the library, right away."

"The ballroom, dear, not the library." Madam Collins said a bit stern and Mina bowed her head. "Of course, the ballroom. Right away, madam Collins."

Madam Collin shook her head as the girl walked away with the correct cleaning supplies. "She would forget her head if it wasn't stuck to her body…" The woman mumbled and went on her way to fulfil her own tasks of the day.

Mina's jaw dropped when she saw the ballroom of the manor. The house was big, but this was ridiculous. A large circular room with beautiful paintings, mirrors and chandeliers everywhere.

"This is amazing…" The girl whispered and soon she indulged in a daydream. Being swept off of her feet by a strapping young man while she was wearing a fabulous gown. Dancing, laughing…until the sun came up. The young Ravenclaw student hadn't known much riches in her life, most things in her life were simple and she was fine with that. But this…this made her dream, hope and smile.

"Are you going to stand here all day? There is work to do, you know?" A voice said, sounding bored and frustrated at the same time.

Mina shot back to reality and stared into the face of Lucy. The red-haired young girl that explained how Malfoy took his tea earlier that weekend.

"I asked you if you were going to be standing around all day." She said even sterner, squinting at a surprised Mina. "I came to bring you hot water, you forgot your bucket and I see you here doing nothing. Master Malfoy isn't too keen on paying for nothing, you know?"

"I am sorry, I was just thinking,…"

"Yeah, I'll bet, here." And with those words, Lucy left again after putting down a heavy iron bucket with searing hot water.

As Mina started to dust , she wondered why the girl was so unkind to her. She hadn't been unkind to her, there was no apparent reason for her hate. But the girl needed to focus. Once the dusting was done, Mina worked on the floor. The water in the bucket cooled down enough to use it to clean the marble floor but since the girl had no mop, she had to crawl on the ground with a wet cloth to scrub it down. While she worked, she softly sang to herself. She didn't even notice how she was wiggling her behind in sync with the song she was singing.

Lucius passed by the ballroom and heard the sweetest voice croon a song he didn't know. He stopped and stepped back, so he could peer through the doorway. There he saw his new servant, on her knees, wiggling her behind and singing while she mopped. The wizard stared, he took in her form and imagined being in there with her, holding her tight, feeling her body….Lucius shook his head to snap out of it and stepped into the ballroom.

"Miss Harper, hard at work, I see."

Mina woke up from her daydream and bit her lip. "I eh…" But then she wondered what he meant, she was hard at work. Who was he to make her feel bad about it? "Yes, Lord Malfoy, I am hard at work. But is there anything I can help you with?" She asked with a charming smile and felt a little jolt of pride at keeping her composure so well.

Lucius smirked and eyed the room. "No, you may carry on." Mina nodded and went back to scrubbing. However, the wizard did not leave. "While you work, you may tell me about yourself." He said and circled her so that she knelt in front of him. Mina blushed a little as she spoke.

"Not a whole lot to tell, sir. As you know my mother is a muggle, my brother and I were both gifted with magic. He chose to leave our family, I plan on doing better. But since the law for young wizards changed, so that parents do have to pay tuition for the school, my mother has been struggling. So I thank you from both of us for this opportunity. I wished to ask you if it was permitted to invite her here some afternoon. I know she would love to see your garden." Mina murmured, feeling more awkward with every word. She saw the look of discontent on the face of the wizard and she frowned, hanging her head.

"We will see how you do here. But yes, if you do well then you may invite her for afternoon tea, in a few weeks. If it doesn't interfere with your chores." Lucius said stiffly, wondering why it was so hard for him to say 'no' to the girl.

Mina didn't expect him to say yes, so she looked up and her entire face lit up. She jumped to her legs and pulled the man into a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, that is so nice!" Her jaw dropped when she realized how inappropriate she was being and she stepped back, bowing her head. "Please forgive me, sir, I-I…"

Lucius had been too shocked to speak and he wanted to reprimand her, but seeing how contrite she was made his anger dissipate. That fact made it flare up again and he also felt very good about being so physically close to the girl. He missed Narcissa, most of all he missed bodily contact.

"Don't fret, girl, just do not let it happen again." He said calmly, his eyes never showing any of his many emotions.

"No, no, never sir."

"Carry on then. And do tell, what is your favourite subject at Hogwarts?" He asked and watched her as she got back on her knees, to get back to cleaning.

"Charms, definitely. Professor Flitwick is a very good teacher." The girl answered, wetting her cloth once more to scrub the floor. "My least favourite is Potions, but I think professor Snape just makes me too nervous to perform well." She went on, figuring that the least favourite subject would be Malfoy's next question.

"So you are not that in control over your emotions?" Lucius asked her smugly, raising a brow at her. When he saw the look of confusion on her face, he went on. "Wizards need to control their emotions to perform well under pressure. Casting spells, brewing potions, you should be able to do that under any circumstance. As an addition to my help with your finances, I shall also tutor you in Potions once a week. I will also need to see your progress with Charms, to see if you are as good as you say."

"I never said I was good at…"

"Quiet." The wizard hissed, his eyes flashing with anger. "Wednesdays. That will do. I expect you here around seven o'clock and during supper we can discuss your progress and where you need help. After we have eaten, we will practice. That is all."

Lucius turned on his heels and left the ballroom, asking himself why he had just made that agreement with her. He had been quite good at Potions but he forgot so much since his time at Hogwarts. He would also have to discuss it with Severus, so he would make sure he'd teach her the potions that were relevant to her classes. Deep down he knew that he just wanted to eat with her once a week and needed an excuse for that. He couldn't eat with her while she worked here during weekends, the staff would notice and then where would he be. Seeing her once a week because of her studies, that would make sense. The man sighed and shook his head as he retreated to his study. Meanwhile Mina finished cleaning the ballroom while overthinking what had just happened. She never asked for help, she just casually mentioned that she was not so good at it. On top of that, she seemed to annoy or anger him, but still he wanted to see more of her. He didn't even ask her if she wanted to be tutored, he just told her to show up. The girl shrugged it off, she probably looking far too much into it. The guy just wanted to help, but had a little trouble expressing it, that's all.

The weekend had been tough on Mina, she underestimated what a physical toll housework could have on a person. Of course Malfoy Manor couldn't exactly be categorized as a 'normal' house. By the time she was getting ready to go home on Sunday evening, her muscles were sore and aching, and the girl longed for a bath. Luckily she could find a bathroom at Hogwarts that was not occupied and she sank into the warm water, after preparing it. She'd prefer to take a relaxing bath at the manor, since then she wouldn't have to worry over any of the other students banging on the doors, but that would never happen. She could never muster up the courage to ask mister Malfoy for that. Especially not after the whole hugging debacle of today.

"Mina! Are you in there?"

"Damn….yes, why?" The girl answered when she heard her friend Carla call out for her.

"I wanna talk to you! Can I sit at the edge of the bath?"

Mina smiled, her friend was a bit much at times, but she loved her dearly. Plus she had no problem with her friend being there as she bathed.

"Sure, come in!"

The blonde girl entered with a big smile, wearing one of her very colourful yellow dresses. She wore silver earrings with orange feathers dangling from the base.

"So? How was it? With that rich guy?" Carla asked her friend and sat at the edge of the bath. Mina chuckled as she sat up a bit.

"It was good, he was…distant. But I think it was good."

As she spoke, her cheeks colored a subtle shade of red. But nothing was subtle when Carla was in the room.

"Merlin's beard, you have a crush on him!" She yelled out loud and Mina gasped and splattered some water Carla's way.

"I do not! What does that even mean! How could I get a crush on a guy that's distant? Besides, I work for him…and…"

"And you are having a major crush on him." Carla finished her sentence and giggled as she got splashed.

What they didn't know was that Albus Dumbledore was strolling through the hallways and overheard their conversation.

"Oh dear…" He mumbled and frowned, asking himself if maybe this was a mistake. Professor McGonagall passed him by and tilted her head.

"Is something the matter, Albus?" She asked with a worried look at how solemn the headmaster was looking.

"I hope not, Minerva, I hope not."


	4. Chapter 4 - Flirting or tutoring?

Meanwhile in the manor, Lord Malfoy nursed a brandy, sitting by the fire in his study. He could not get the muggle girl out of his head. The muggle girl and her form-fitting dress. The way she sat on her knees in front of him, how she moaned as she tasted her chocolate….

It had been so long since Narcissa left, it had been almost two years now. Two long years of an empty bed. No son at the breakfast table during holidays, nobody to talk to besides his staff. He still dabbled in buying and selling art and rare artifacts, so he had people he could talk to, but it was so different.

In his job at the ministry, Lucius couldn't find any solace either. Most of his colleagues looked down on him, for what happened with the Dark Lord. And the ones that didn't, were afraid to talk to him, afraid to speak their true opinions on the wizard world and its rules. The world had become hollow and empty to the once grand Lucius Malfoy.

"I'm a fool…an old fool.." Lucius whispered to himself and downed the brandy in a few gulps. The liquor burned in his throat and made him gasp for air. Annoyed by how a simple drink could make him do this, he tossed the glass into the fire with a grunt of disapproval. Professor Snape appeared in the doorway and rose a brow.

"Problems, Lucius?" He drawled, in his low voice.

Lucius got up and adjusted his clothing. "Not at all, Severus. I assume you came by floo?"

"I did. And by the looks of it, I am lucky I chose your fireplace downstairs."

Lucius shot him a glare. "Shall we go downstairs to the basement?" He asked him in a stiff manner, nodding towards the door.

They passed through a large wooden door, decorated with an iron Slytherin crest and descended into the dark basement. Every two feet, there was a burning torch attached to the stone wall, a silver snake with green emeralds for eyes coiled around the torch. Snape hated how gaudy it looked, but who was he to judge another man in his own home? He could, however, not help himself to comment on the situation.

"Potions, Lucius? From our time at Hogwarts I recall that you were proficient in potions. Slughorn was quite fond of your talent. Why do you need my help now?"

"I did not ask you to dig up my past, Severus. We all know how the past does not define us…" Lucius softly but firmly stated.

For a few moments, there was an extremely awkward silence. The two men should detest each other in theory, since Lucius was a follower of the Dark Lord and Severus turned out to be a double agent. But they had never spoken about it, they kept pretending that they were on good terms, since they once had been very good friends.

"Besides," Lucius continued, after lingering in the silence for a few moments, "if you'd do your job well as a teacher, I would not have to resort to this. I am doing this to keep up with your lesson plan and out of the goodness of my heart." His tone of voice implied that he was doing it to sacrifice babies, but Severus was smart enough not to point this out.

"What do you mean?"

"That girl. Harper. I am tutoring her. Potions is her least favourite class and I wish for her to excel in it." Again Lucius spoke stiffly, his tone annoyed as if he hadn't want to give that fact away.

Severus was silent for a few moments and the wizards reached the end of the long stairs, now standing in a circular room with a cauldron and a fireplace that Lucius lit with a flick of his wand. Against the large wall across from them stood a cabinet filled with ingredients. Narcissa used to spend a lot of time down here, brewing potions. That thought stung Lucius for a moment, but more important matters were on his mind.

"I assume I do not have to remind you that the girl is sixteen years old, Lucius." Snape commented.

Lucius's head snapped into Snape's direction and he glared.

"What exactly are you implying, Severus? I am doing this out of the goodness of my heart, for the school!"

The dark-haired wizard merely gave the other a look and nodded at the cabinet behind him.

"Get your supplies ready, I do not have all day."

Lucius gathered the ingredients that Severus listed, trying to ignore the awkward situation that had arisen between them. Once Lucius was finished collecting the ingredients, he displayed them on the wooden table next to the cauldron. With his wand, he lit the wood beneath the cauldron as well.

"Aguamenti." Snape murmured, to fill up the large black container with water, as a base for the potion he wanted Lucius to brew.

"Now, pay attention." Severus started his lesson, clearly enjoying the fact that Lucius had to listen to him if he wanted to achieve his goal. Lucius did his best to remain stoic, hiding his contempt for the other and the situation.

Mina went to her classes, finding that somehow it was very hard for her to get Lord Malfoy out of her head. Carla stopped teasing her, luckily, cause Mina told her that the other students could not hear. Gossip could start to lead its own life after all and Mina did not want Lord Malfoy getting in trouble over some silly teasing. Wednesday came and her classes took longer than usual that day. Mina was both scared and excited to have dinner at the manor that night. Once her schoolday was finally over, she went to her closet to find something suitable to wear. To her dismay, all of her clothes were inappropriate in her eyes. She didn't want to appear too adult, since people would talk if they saw her go off to the manor in an adult dress. But she couldn't appear too childish either, then he might think that she was not taking this seriously. After an hour of pulling things out of her closet and stuffing them back in, the girl decided on a pair of black leather pants and a green blouse, topped with a small gold necklace. She could pass for Slytherin like this, Mina thought.

Through the floo-network, she travelled to Malfoy Manor and was greeted by madam Collins. "Hello dear, nice to see you." She said with a warm smile and grabbed the vase near the fireplace, before Mina was able to kick it down while stepping down. The girl grinned, half ashamed, half amused.

"Hello madam Collins, uuhm…where do I eh…In the dining room?" She asked the older lady, who chuckled. "Yes, dear. In the dining room. You look…interesting."

"Thank you?" Mina asked, half questioning the older woman, since she wasn't sure whether it was meant as a compliment or not. They parted ways and Mina soon found herself in the dining room. As she entered, Lucius stood up, stiffly grabbing the chair that was meant for her to pull it out from under the table.

"Miss Harper. Here you are." He said shortly and waited until she was seated before sitting down again as well.

"S-Sir. Thank you. I hope you're well." She said softly, her voice reduced to a whisper.

"When you speak to me, I expect you to speak up, I don't want to strain myself to hear you." Lucius told her, eyeing her up and down. Mina looked down, her cheeks going red in shame. "Slytherin colors. Interesting." Lucius went on and Mina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was so interesting today that she was sick of it.

"Perhaps you would do well in Slytherin. Draco flourished in that house. I can talk to Dumbledore if you like." Lucius offered and Mina wondered how on earth she would talk her way out of this politely.

"That's very kind of you, sir, but I really like my house."

"As you wish." Lucius replied and Mina thought that there was a light sneer visible on his face. A few members of the staff came in to serve them their food and Mina fumbled with her napkin, not knowing what to do with herself.

"Sit up straight and don't fidget. Do I have to teach you manners besides potions?" Lucius asked her snidely, regretting his words as soon as he saw the hurt expression on her face. The girl quickly sat up and placed her hands on the table, on either side of her plate.

"Forgive me, sir, it must be very frustrating to deal with the lower class like this." She said, not harsh but not that soft-spoken either. Lucius was speechless for a few moments, his jaw dropping as he stared at her.

"Excuse me, young lady? Do you realize how lucky you are? That you have to leave Hogwarts without my help?" Lucius hissed, as he glared at the girl intently.

"Yes, sir, and I am very grateful." Mina answered quietly, staring at her plate as she tried to compose herself. But the girl was flustered with anger and frustration, how could he be so mean to her? She did nothing wrong, said nothing to deserve such an agitated reaction from him.

"Do you want me to leave, sir?" She asked as she looked up. For a moment, Lucius wanted to say yes, but when he saw the tears that welled up in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to confirming this.

"No, miss Harper. I want you to eat and enjoy your dinner."

Mina nodded, picking up her fork with a trembling hand and she looked at what was on her plate. There was a small heap of the fluffiest mashed potatoes that she had ever seen. Some green beans, with the smallest dusting of what she thought was cinnamon. Next to that, a slice of meat that was roasted to absolute perfection. Had she been home, she would have devoured it in mere minutes, but the girl kept her cool, picked up her knife as well and cut off a small piece of meat. When she tasted it, her mouth filled with the salty, smoky flavours and she let out a small moan of approval.

Meanwhile Lucius watched every move, seeing both grace and that low-class upbringing in her movements. A certain crudeness, accompanied with her delicacy. The way she held her knife, clumsily, as if she was used to holding it differently but she wanted to impress him. At the same time, she took small, deliberate bites, very aware that she was not eating alone. Surely this was because of the many shared meals at Hogwarts. But heritage always betrayed where we were from, Lucius thought.

"Would you care for some wine?" The tall wizard asked Mina, as he stood up to grab the pitcher. The girl nodded shyly, she never had wine before, she was only sixteen after all. But she was too shy to tell him no.

"Thank you." She stated and picked up the glass, carefully sipping from the red liquid. The bitterness filled her mouth but softened when it mixed with the taste of the meat. Again Mina let out the tiniest moan. "That's very good. I've never had wine before."

Lucius sat back down and drank from his own glass, staring at her over the rim of the glass. "How curious. Is it not a custom in muggle families?"

She could have sworn that there was a sneer on his face when he asked this, but perhaps the man's natural state was to be condescending.

"It's frowned upon that teenagers drink, but a lot of them do." Mina explained. "My mom was very strict though, she never wanted us near the stuff. Not after my father…" She trailed off as she realized that she had revealed a lot more than she wanted to.

"Is this the reason that you do not speak with your brother?" Malfoy asked as he started to eat his dinner.

"Yes. We think so. He took my father's side. Even though my father wanted nothing to do with us. He never sent us a card for our birthday, not even a call. Somehow my brother fabricated it was my mother's fault. But it wasn't, she worked very hard to put us through school and whatnot. She is very thankful that you are willing to help me, as well as I am."

"Well, I think it's commendable that you are doing so well in school, despite those hardships." The man answered, again speaking stiffly and avoiding eye contact. Mina blushed and quickly stuffed her mouth with food, so she wouldn't say anything silly in retort of that.

After the most awkward dinner ever, the pair descended towards the basement of the manor. Lucius picked up the piece of parchment on which professor Snape had scribbled the recipe and started to recite which ingredients Mina needed for the potion. Once the girl had gathered them, she stood at the large table and started to cut up some foxglove. Lucius eyed her and saw that she wasn't getting the full potential out of the plant, the way she cut it. He stood behind her and reached around to hold her hands, turning them a little.

"See, miss Harper, if you hold your hands this way, you can make a much better use of what you got." He said huskily near her ear, very aware of how tight her pants were around her long legs. Mina swallowed hard as she felt his hot breath on her neck and nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

Lucius inhaled her scent and detected a whiff of lilacs, sandalwood and daffodils. His mind went back to that time they spoke, in his study. How she moaned while tasting that chocolate. He swallowed hard and urged himself to let her go. But he couldn't bring himself to it. The conflict inside of him stirred his anger, the fact that a plain girl could get him all worked up like this. His anger won and he let go of her hands rather roughly, stepping back as he went to the cabinet, pretending to search for something.

Mina caught a whiff of his scent as well, she couldn't quite place what it had been but she could tell it was expensive. It smelled dignified and powerful. And it made her want him with her entire being. She bit her lip and did her best to focus on what she was doing, but the intense throbbing of her bodily needs made her lose that focus.

Lucius noticed her. Noticed her squeezing her eyes shut and biting on that full plump lip. He wanted to bite it, claim it, make her cry out in pleasure pain, all because of him. He came back to the table, standing behind her once more. This time, it was more intimate. His chest was against her back, his legs against hers, which left her behind snugly planted against his hips and manhood.

"Do you realize how lucky you are, girl?" He whispered in her ear, his hot breath on her neck. She shuddered and nodded, making the tiniest sound as she squeezed her eyes shut in enjoyment.

"To receive such a generous gift from a wealthy man like myself. A pureblood wizard." Lucius went on and Mina's eyes snapped back open, as if she had been stung by a bee.

"As opposed to a dirty muggle-born like myself?" She asked him snidely, resisting the urge to wiggle her behind against his body.

Lucius pulled her arm to turn her around and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Now you listen well, missy. I won't tolerate that mouth, do you hear me?" He hissed at her, looking at her lips as if he was going to devour them. Mina felt a painful throbbing between her legs and a raging anger in her heart.

"You will treat your benefactor with the utmost respect and do whatever he commands you." He continued and smirked at her. Mina could see that he loved the fact he had her stuck like this. She couldn't stand up for herself, she'd be out of Hogwarts within a week if he wanted it.

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir." She said through gritted teeth and forced herself to smile. She imagined it looked like she was going to bite his nose right off, she had a very 'honest' face at time. At least that's what Carla told her.

"Good. Now, if you'll pay attention to my instructions, we will continue your lesson."

And he went back to brewing the potion with her, as if none of it ever transpired.


	5. Chapter 5 - Home is where the mom is

Mina was both relieved and saddened to be back at Hogwarts, it had been the strangest night of her life yet. Once Lord Malfoy chastised her for her behaviour, they finished making the potion without even mentioning the incident again. As if he hadn't rode up to her backside at all. She couldn't exactly say that she would be better at potions because of this, it might have made her more nervous yet.

"Mina, look at you, you look beautiful!" Carla exclaimed when Mina entered the Ravenclaw common room to get her mind off of things. Mickey, a Hufflepuff boy with russet brown skin and big brown eyes, nodded with a grin. "Sure do! Did you go to a party?"

"Hi Mickey," Mina said warmly, she was rather fond of Mickey, since he and Carla were so close. She was fond of anyone who could make her friend smile like that. "I did not go to a party, I had a tutor lesson." The way she rolled her eyes while saying it, made Mickey's grin disappear in worry.

"You don't look very happy about it."

"The guy's a jerk, let's keep it to that." She explained, then tilted her head. "Are you two playing wizard chess?"

Carla laughed. "I am winning." Mina chuckled too. "You always do."

Mina didn't want to bore them with her problem, not while they were in such a good mood. On top of that, she didn't want to talk to them about all those complicated feelings that she was having about the whole encounter.

"I think I am going to visit my mom, I'll be back later." She told them and grabbed her cloak and bag from the coat rack. The bag was a ratty old thing, with a lot of different colored patches to keep it from falling apart, but Mina loved it. She owned it since childhood and wouldn't dream of getting rid of it.

Carla gave her a worried look. "Is something the matter, Mina? I can come to your room to talk?" But Mina shook her head. "No, no, enjoy your game, I just miss her, that's all." She assured her friend and said goodbye to Carla and Mickey. She used to the fireplace to travel to a fireplace close to her mother. It belonged to an old lady who used to attend Hogwarts herself. When she found out that Mina was going to Hogwarts, she assured both Mina and her mother that Mina could use her fireplace anytime, for quick visits and whatnot. Over time, she and Mina's mother became close friends.

"Hello dear, on your way to see your mum?" The old woman asked her, sitting in her large purple lazy chair, her feet propped up on her ottoman. The little cottage was small but cosy, with its floral wallpaper and large yellow curtains.

"Good evening, madam Morris, how are you?" Mina asked her with a smile as she stepped out of the fireplace. "Hey Tommy, how are you?" She greeted her grey cat, petting him until he purred happily. "I am going to see my mom, it's been a while. I hope you are doing well?"

"Of course, of course, me and Tommy against the world." Madam Morris answered in a creaky voice, followed by a small chuckle that sounded like a croaking frog. "How are you, dear?"

"Oh, I am well, but Hogwarts keep me busy, of course. I'll be sure to come during the weekend soon, so I can stay a bit longer." Mina excused herself, but madam Morris understood.

"You go and see your mum, dear, we'll catch up soon."

After a short walk, Mina arrived at her mom's cottage, as small and cosy as that of madam Morris. But Sarah, Mina's mother, was a bit different in decorating. She mostly decorated the house in a lilac color, lilac curtains and a lilac couch, which was worn but very comfortable. The walls were covered with a coat of egg-shell colored paint, although it could use another coating. At the side of the house, there was a simple kitchen, with a dining table and four chairs. In the living room a large bookcase caught the eye, filled with fairytales, poetry books and other literature. Both Mina and Sarah were very fond of reading.

Sarah Harper, a thirty-five year old woman, led a simple life here. When Mina and her brother were born, her husband left them shortly after. Mina was probably around 3 or 4 years old at the time. On her own, she did her best to give them a good life. There were jobs here and there, but always for short periods of times and for little pay. To this day she still lived like this, but since both her children were not living at home, it was a bit easier. Mina wished she could do more to help out, but her goal was to do well in school so she could get a good job as soon as possible. Then it would be a lot easier for her mother. One of Sarah's favourite jobs was to sing at the local pub. The owner asked her to sing there once or twice a week, depending on how large the crowd was. At times, Mina would join her there to sing together.

When Sarah saw Mina walk through the door, a smile broke through on her face. Her dark-brown eyes lit up and she jumped up from the couch, putting down the book that she was reading. Her brown curls jumped around her face as she walked over to Mina to give her a hug.

"Hello sweetheart, so nice to see you."

"Hi mom." Mina said warmly and hugged her mother back, burying her face in her mother's curls. As soon as she did and smelled that familiar perfume, she started to cry.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Sarah asked her, shocked to see that much pain on her daughter's face. She led the both of them to the big couch and sat them down, waiting until Mina would be ready to talk.

"I-I…that man that is helping me, with school?" She whispered, through her tears. Sarah nodded. Mina wrote about it in a letter so she was aware of the situation. "He wants to tutor me at potions, since I suck at it. But he was so mean to me yesterday. Said I was lucky to have a pureblood wizard help me out."

Sarah was silent for a few moments. She knew about the prejudice against kids from muggle families.

"Honey, why does it matter what he says or thinks? He might have been upset over something that had nothing to do with you." She finally said, making Mina shrug.

"I don't know. He was one of Voldemorts followers once, so I think he is just helping me out to get credit for it. Help the poor muggle girl." She said bitterly. Before she came here, she had every intention of telling her mother about Malfoy's inappropriate behaviour but now that she sat here…she couldn't bring herself to do it. What if her mother got so mad she alerted Dumbledore? She would just have to go through it and hope that it wouldn't go too far. Mina wouldn't admit to it, but there was also a very small part of her that was curious. After all, he was a very handsome man. Plus she wasn't in a relationship and neither was he. From what she understood, his divorce was a few months ago. Sarah grabbed Mina's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Listen to me." She told the girl, although it sounded a lot less harsh and cold than when Malfoy said it earlier.

"Sometimes people need to make others feel bad so they feel less bad about themselves. But there is no truth in that. No knowledge. No kindness. It's temporary relief, that's all. And it has nothing to do with the person on the receiving end. If you think you can deal with this, then be the strong woman I know you can be. But if you don't, we will talk to professor Dumbledore together and see if we can find another solution. Now, time for tea and biscuits."

Sarah got up and went to the small kitchen. Mina smiled to herself. Her mother was so good to her. If Mina were to say that it was too much for her, her mother wouldn't make her feel bad for it for a second. She would march right into Hogwarts and demand that Dumbledore would talk to her. But she was right, Malfoy had a problem and Mina wasn't going to suffer for it. She'd pull through and see what it would bring.

Meanwhile in Malfoy Manor, Lucius sat in his study, staring at the fire in the fireplace. He was angered. Angered that the girl had him so worked up. Angered that she stood up for herself like that. Angered that he didn't seduce or pressure her into sex. Angered that he wanted to. This filthy girl…she was turning his life upside down and he was both disgusted and delighted by it. Friday night. Then she would arrive once again. Of course she'd be busy with duties and whatnot, but at least Lucius would be able to steal a glance or two. He already knew it would never be enough. Not after smelling her scent, feeling her body against his. He wanted her. And he wanted her bad. As he felt his manhood swell, he sighed as he opened up his pants. Taking his flesh in hand, he closed his eyes and thought of the girl. The filthy muggle girl.

Mina both dreaded and longed for the weekend and it inevitably arrived right on schedule. Friday night, after having dinner in the great hall with Carla and Mickey, she gathered a few belongings and grabbed some floo powder. Within a few moments, she was in Malfoy Manor, greeted by madam Collins.

"Hello dear, you are early today. Good to see you. How was your week?" She asked her as she dusted off a nearby large vase.

"Hello madam Collins, I'm well, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm well, dear. Do you want some dinner? There are some leftovers in the kitchen."

"That would be lovely, thank you." Mina answered, realizing she was still hungry, despite having dinner earlier. When she entered the kitchen, she noticed that there was a plate set for her already, with a glass of lemonade next to it. She smiled and sat down, happily digging into the tasty dish.

She heard Lucius welcome someone into his home and they talked about a certain artefact that Lucius had for him. Mina felt incredibly awkward, she was sure this was not meant for her ears. But what was she to do? Should she make her presence known? Should she try and sneak upstairs so they wouldn't see her? But then she wouldn't be able to finish her food and she was just too hungry for that.

"Shall we fetch something from the kitchen? Most of my staff is free at the moment, sadly. It's so hard to find good help these days." Lucius said with an arrogant chuckle, making Mina roll her eyes. "It would be rather embarrassing if the Ministery found this in my home," The wizard went on as Mina started to panic, she heard the voice come closer. "..so I am glad you are taking it off my hands." He concluded as he stepped into the kitchen, seeing Mina there.

Mina made herself small in her seat, as if she did something wrong, when she saw Malfoy's angered face. The man behind him was not familiar to her, but somehow he was also angry with her. His dark eyes sparkled dangerously. With his sunken in face and his little ring beard, he almost looked like the devil himself. His long black cloak did not help that image.

"Good evening, sir. I'll go upstairs. Or can I get you and your guest anything?" She asked him politely, which she thought was pretty big of her, since she wasn't officially on duty on Friday night.

"You may start by explaining why you are not in uniform, miss Harper." Lucius told her, eyeing her up and down as if he was smelling something nasty. Mina looked at her outfit, not sure what was wrong with it. It was a pair of black jeans and a red sweater, a bit oversized but not dirty or worn down.

"I'm not exactly working at the moment." Mina said a tad sharp, stuffing her face with another bite of food. She was starting to feel a sass-attack come up. This was never good.

"I see that." Lucius said, narrowing his eyes at her. Mina decided to be even more difficult, standing up and extending her hand to the stranger, swallowing her food before she introduced herself.

"Hey, how are you, I'm Mina Harper, I work for Lord Malfoy. On weekends, that is, I'm still in school." She rambled, feeling her nerves getting the better of her.

The man eyed her up and down as well and turned to Lucius as if she hadn't spoken to him at all. "What is she?" He barked but before Lucius could answer, she interfered.

"Libra, what are you?" She asked him sharply and he dropped his jaw at her interjection.

"This is mister Cifer, here to purchase something from me. Lucian, will you go to my study please, I'll join you shortly." Lucius said, aggravation in his tone of voice.

With a huff of discontent, the man turned on his heels and marched out of the kitchen. Mina shifted in her seat a bit, feeling that Malfoy was livid with her for this.

"What is the matter with you?" Lucius hissed at Mina, as soon as his visitor was out of earshot. He grasped his walking cane a little tighter, making his anger even more obvious to Mina.

"I thought he was being rude, I introduced myself to him, the least he could do was shake my hand and introduce himself as well." Mina countered, smart enough not to point out Lucius's rudeness as well.

"He does not introduce himself to muggles, or muggleborns, girl! Don't be daft! I expect you to change into your uniform and come and apologize to him at once in my study! That was not a question!" He snarled at her, when Mina opened her mouth to dispute this. .

Again Mina made herself small and whispered some form of agreement, looking down to hide the tears in her eyes. Lucius marched out of the kitchen, the walking cane making short and rhythmic sounds on the floor. Mina started to loath the sound. Once she was alone, she allowed her tears to flow freely. What was the point of his task anyway? Get in uniform for an apology? To a guy who wasn't going to listen to her anyway? It was a vulgar display of power, nothing more. The girl moved to her bedroom and changed into the long blue dress with apron and hair piece, before she went to Malfoy's study and knocked on the door. She heard Lucius call her in and opened the door. She noticed that Lucius had poured some brandy for the both of them, probably because Mina chased them out of the kitchen with her antics.

The girl stepped into the room and clasped her hands together. "Lord Malfoy, I wanted to apologize for what happened in the kitchen." Mina stated, not really knowing what else to say, since she was completely unaware of what she did wrong. She thought it best not to address Lucian anymore, since he took such offense to her existence.

"Good, good, you may retire for the evening, miss Harper, that will be all." Lucius said lazily. He glanced at her and Mina could see the smugness in his eyes, knowing that he got her all dressed up and up here just for this. Mina curtsied and turned around, resisting the urge to curse out loud.

"Hold up, hold up, young lady, come back here." Lucian said firmly, beckoning her with his finger. Mina was close to yelling at him for how impolite he was treating her.

"Yes, sir, what can I do for you?" She asked him in her sweetest voice. "Speak when spoken to!" He barked, glaring at her intently. Mina glanced at Lucius, to see if he was going to stand up for her, but he was just staring at her, probably enjoying this display to the fullest. So instead she bowed her head and waited for Lucian to state what he wanted from her.

"I did not get an answer earlier. What are you?" Lucian asked, he most likely figured out that Lucius was not going to answer this question for him.

"Muggleborn, sir." Mina whispered, mentally getting ready for a whole lot of stupid.

"You let a mudblood into your house, Lucius?" Lucian asked him, clearly disgusted at this idea.

"Dumbledore forced my hand, I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter." Lucius said with a scoff, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "I pay her tuition in exchange for a job in my house, her mother isn't able to make the payments herself. A whole sob story, you know how Albus is."

Mina let out a sob, she couldn't help herself. They were being so awful to her, she just couldn't understand what moved them to behave like this.

"That will be all, miss Harper. Please go and cry in your room." Malfoy growled at Mina, when he saw that she was crying. The sight made him feel superior and at the same time, it tugged at his heartstrings and that annoyed him to no end.

Mina walked out and waited until she had closed her bedroom door before she started to really cry. She fell on her bed and cried out her frustration and the pain that was caused. This wasn't the first time people had judged her for being muggleborn and it wasn't going to be the last. But this had been so cruel that it was definitely the most painful.


	6. Chapter 6 - The green house

In the morning Mina woke up with red eyes. She hadn't been able to get the encounter out of her mind. She hoped with all her heart that Lucius wouldn't be around today. If she saw him, she'd probably cry again. Downstairs, she ate breakfast with the others, but didn't really engage in any conversation that went on during breakfast. She helped Madam Collins do the dishes afterwards and waited for her instructions.

"My dear, today I'd like you clean up the green house. Our gardener had some time off, but soon he'll start working again and it would be great if he could start planting right away." Madam Collins asked her.

"Oh yes, that sounds lovely, I'll take care of that." Mina said happily, glad that she would be able to spend some time outside of the manor. Maybe she'd be able to peep into the maze, she was so curious about that.

Lucy finished the tray of breakfast that she made for Lucius, they always had breakfast before he would eat, so they wouldn't disturb him too early. She wanted to grab something from the counter behind her and twisted her ankle as she did, falling to the floor with a pained thud. Mina rushed over to her and helped her up.

"Are you alright? Come, I'll help you up."

"Get off me, you mudblood!" Lucy cried out and shook Mina's hands off. Mina bowed her head, tears springing to her eyes again.

"Lucy!" Madam Collins said in a raised voice. Lucy tried to get up on her own. "I don't want to hear that word in this house!" The older lady went on and plucked Lucy from the floor, setting her down on a chair nearby. She pulled off the girl's shoe and tsked.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really hurt yourself. I will get you some ice for your foot, don't move."

"But what about the breakfast tray…" Lucy whined, as if someone took away her last piece of candy and ate it. Evidently she was really looking forward to bringing Lucius his meal.

"I'll take it. Feel better." Mina mumbled and picked up the tray before rushing out of the room. She didn't see the glare that Lucy shot her, oblivious to how much Lucy wanted to do it herself.

Mina wasn't looking forward to doing this at all, but she couldn't let Lucy stumble up those stairs herself, the girl would hurt herself even more if she did. Mina arrived at the master bedroom and knocked on the door, balancing the tray on her knee as best she could.

"Come in." She heard a voice from behind the door and entered. She refused to look at her employer, still very disappointment in him. So she set the tray on the bed spot on the bed next to him and spoke up.

"Good morning, sir, Lucy hurt herself while preparing your breakfast, so I brought it up for you. I hope you slept well."

"Good morning, miss Harper. Yes, thank you. What are your plans for today?"

Ugh, a hearing. Wonderful.

"Madam Collins asked me to take care of the green house, which I am looking forward to. I've always loved gardens." She quietly stated. She felt forced to look him into the eyes and as soon as she did, she felt her eyes fill up with tears.

"I eh….about…yesterday…" Lucius awkwardly started. Mina bit her lip, she didn't want to cry again. Not in front of him at least.

"I have certain clients that have certain views of the wizard community. I have to indulge them as to still be able to sell to them, surely you understand. Do not take this personally." He said shortly, not used to explaining his actions. He did feel the need to take at least some of her pain away.

"And these views are different than your own?" Mina asked, surprised by her own bravery.

She struck an obvious nerve, judging by how his face changed by her remark.

"What are you implying, miss Harper?" He asked her, the venom dripping from his voice.

"That you think I am dirty, sir. And it is rather painful. I did nothing wrong." Mina told him, an accusing tone in her voice.

Before Lucius was able to answer, there was a knock on the door. Madam Collins entered, not waiting for a response. Lucius was rather surprised by this.

"My lord, excuse my intrusion. I'd like to report that Lucy has called Mina a mudblood, while Mina tried to help her off the floor after falling. After that, Mina was kind enough to fulfil Lucy's task of bringing your food up, without me or Lucy having to ask for it. I'd say that's rather admirable."

Lucius was flabbergasted, not one but two women were now in his bedroom telling him how wrong he was in ways and he did not like it one bit. "I'd like to eat alone!" He sternly said and both Mina and madam Collins rushed out of the room.

"This must be hard for you, my dear. But no worries, it's for a good cause. And we don't all think like him. I will give you some advice. Don't try to change his ways. They are his flaws, not yours. I wouldn't want him to throw you out over that, alright?" Madam Collins asked her warmly, cupping her cheek with her hand for a moment. Mina sniffled a bit and then nodded. "Thank you." She whispered.

Then she made sure Mina would get an extra warm vest and a pair of gloves for her task of cleaning up the greenhouse. She also gave her some cleaning supplies and sent her on her way. Mina found the greenhouse adjacent to the dining room, behind the house. Through the many windows, she was able to see the lovely garden, although it looked a little shabby without any flowers blooming, besides some lost flowers here and there. It was indeed much colder here than in the manor and Mina mentally thanked madam Collins for taking such good care of her.

For the next few hours, she worked very hard to make the place presentable. She swept the floors and got rid of the broken pots that were standing around, ignoring the spiders and bugs that she came across. Then she gave the windows a wash and got rid of all the cobwebs that were hanging from the ceiling. Once the broken pots were out of the way, she also scrubbed the large table in the middle of the greenhouse and finally she scrubbed the floor. By the time she was done her vest wand gloves were black with dust and dirt but the place looked spotless and ready to use.

"Well, this place sure looks nice." A voice suddenly said, making Mina jump up in shock. She turned around, to where the voice had come from and saw the darkest eyes she had ever seen. They belonged to a young man in a pair of jeans and a dirty shirt, washing his hands in a nearby sink.

"I eh…yes, it's very good looking. I mean eh… Thank you. I'm Mina." Mina stuttered, blushing to the fullest. The young man chuckled. "I'm Duncan. Nice to meet you." He finished washing his hands and walked up to her, extending his hand. Mina took off her glove and shook his hand. "Say, would you like to get a drink with me in the Drunk Sheep, after work? It's a pub nearby." He asked her with a smirk, liking what he saw.

"I don't think so." Lucius said quietly, but obviously very angry, neither of them had noticed him coming into the greenhouse. His eyes were sparkling with anger as he coldly stared at the young man. Duncan cleared his throat and looked down.

"What do you think you are doing? Hitting on my staff? What is wrong with you? A child, no less!" Malfoy started to chastise the young man and Mina rose a brow at him, thinking he didn't see her as a child when he was rubbing himself on her backside the other day.

"Don't you start with me, missy." He hissed when he saw her give him that look. "Well?" Lucius asked as he turned back to Duncan.

"I'm sorry, my Lord, I just wanted to be welcoming." The young man mumbled, but avoided eye-contact.

"I pay you to do my garden, not be 'welcoming'!" Lucius mocked his explanation. Mina tilted her head.

"So you do the garden? It looks absolutely lovely, that maze is beautiful." She remarked softly.

"Thank you." Lucius and Duncan said at the same time, which made Lucius glare at the boy even more.

Mina realized how much more awkward she just made the situation and bit her lip, looking down.

"If I catch you lurking around miss Harper again, I will throw you out, understood?" Lucius asked his gardener. Duncan nodded subdued, still avoiding eye contact.

"And I want to see you in my study later." The blonde man added as he looked at Mina. Before the girl could answer, he was gone, his cloak swishing behind him, his cane producing short but loud sounds on the floor as he trotted off.

"What did I do?" She asked out loud when she finally was able to form some words. "I'm so sorry for getting you in trouble." The girl added, looking at Duncan.

Duncan shrugged. "Not your fault, I shouldn't have asked you out. But you're just so cute. I couldn't help myself." He said with a charming smile. Mina blushed and chuckled some. "I better go and see what he wants." She said and quickly took off the gloves and vest.

"I know what he wants." Duncan remarked with a bitter tone, once Mina was no longer able to hear him.

Mina was oblivious to what Lucius wanted and wouldn't have understood Duncan, even if she did hear him. After changing her clothes and freshening up, she went on her way to the study and knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Come in."

Mina opened the door and swallowed hard, her stomach tying itself into a knot as she walked in. This was the end of Hogwarts, she just knew it.

Lucius was not sitting behind his desk, he was sitting in a large chair near the fireplace, facing the door. His cane was resting against the side of the chair.

"Poor me a brandy." He said shortly, nodding towards the little glass table in front of the chair. There was a pitcher on it, with a gold-brown liquid inside and several glasses, all with the same snake pattern on the rim.

Part of Mina wanted to ask why he didn't pour the damn brandy himself, but she knew better as to antagonize him further in this moment. She walked over to the little table and picked up a glass, setting it down before picking up the pitcher. Lucius watched her closely as she poured him the drink, at her strange muggle clothing. A leather skirt and a lilac sweater on top. The hem of a white blouse peaked out at her neck. She looked good in lilac. Too good. Mina offered him the glass and he accepted it, staring at her over the rim of the glass as he slowly sipped from the liquid.

"Miss Harper." He finally said, after drinking half the brandy from the glass. "Do you enjoy working for me?"

Mina hadn't expected this question. " Y-Yes, of course." Lucius smirked. "And yet you behave like you do. Smarting me off here and there, seducing my staff."

"I'm sorry, sir, I was talking and…"

"Silence." Lucius growled. "I don't think I need to remind you that without me, you have no future at Hogwarts. It would be smart to stay on my good side."

"I wasn't aware you had one, sir." She suddenly said rather snarky. It was out before she knew. The girl bit her lip, she'd be out within the hour now.

Instead of the anger that she anticipated, there was a different emotion seen on the face of Lucius Malfoy. One that wasn't often showed. He frowned, swallowed hard and then avoided her gaze to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. He had no good side. It was one of the many insults Narcissa threw at him before she left him. But this one had hurt the worst by far. It implied he was like Voldemort, that he had no human feelings. That he was a bad father. And hearing it again made all those painful memories come right back to him.

Mina saw the hurt that she caused and she gasped, rushing over and falling to her knees in front of him. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight as she stared up at him.

"I am so sorry, please forgive me, that was unacceptable! Please forgive me." While rambling, her voice broke and tears appeared in her eyes as well. She pressed her forehead against the hand that she held and softly cried.


	7. Chapter 7 - An invitation

Lucius watched her and felt the bad feelings dissipate. The fact that his simple tears caused such a reaction from her, it showed how big her heart was. Gently, he used his free hand to caress her hair. As Mina felt his gentle touch, she looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"Silly girl, such tears over an old man." He said softly, but fondly.

"I truly am sorry, sir, I didn't mean to hurt you." Mina whispered, as she wiped off the tears.

"Then you will simply have to make it up to me. There is a banquet I am invited to, I'd hate to go alone. I'd be delighted if you'd accompany me. As my eh…pupil." He told her, clearing his throat.

"I'd love that, sir. That sounds so lovely." Mina answered in a tiny voice. She couldn't believe what was going on, like she was rewarded for hurting him.

"It is a formal event, do you have something appropriate to wear, or do we need to go shopping?" He asked her, but not in his usual belittling way. It was genuine concern.

Mina smiled, that was a very considerate offer. "I think I have something, but you'll have to see if it's formal enough for where we are going. When is it?"

"Next Saturday night. I declined the offer at first, but I will send an owl that I will attend after all. Plus one." He told her with a wink and a smile. When there was no discontent showing on his face, he really was quite charming.

"That is so exciting, I can pick up my dress tomorrow afternoon, at Hogwarts, if that is alright? Then I won't be able to forget it next week. I will make up for any missed time."

"Go whenever you wish, miss Harper. Don't fret over missed work. I will send the staff home after dinner. So we can have time to get ready without wondering eyes." Lucius retorted in a soothing manner and Mina wondered if he may be expecting more once they got back, since he wanted the staff out of the way.

"I thought most of them lived at the manor?" She inquired, but Lucius shook his head. "They are free to stay here if they want. They start so early that most of them prefer it. But when I state I want an empty manor, then I get an empty manor." Clearly he was very proud of this fact, Mina wondered when he'd show off his feathers.

"I'm looking forward to it." She told him with a smile, not mentioning his resemblance to a peacock in this moment, since it was so pleasant. "I will leave you to your work, sir, I'm rather tired from this week."

"Then get some rest, miss Harper."

Mina fidgeted a little. Now that they were a little closer, perhaps she'd work up enough courage to ask him for a favour.

"Miss Harper?"

Lucius's tone implied so many things. A hint of impatience, since she was stalling the moment without saying what was on her mind. Some desire, as if he was ready to ravage her. But maybe that was just how she wanted him to feel. It also implied an almost fatherly tone, like he wanted her to know that she could say anything to him.

"I eh.."

"Speak up, dear. I do not have all day." He stated and drank from his brandy again. Mina was close to a snarky comment, but instead she took a deep breath.

"Sir, would you mind if I took a bath after dinner? I'm so tired from today and it will help me sleep later." She asked him, her voice a mere whisper as her eyes did their best to avoid eye-contact.

For a few moments, Lucius was stunned at the request. If this had been another servant, he would have probably send that person packing. But he felt himself unable to say no and for a brief second wondered if she could possibly have casted the imperius-curse on him.

"If you clean up after yourself, make sure the staff does not see you. Then yes, you may."

This time, Mina refrained from flying into his arms for a hug. She just gave him a thankful smile. "Thank you, sir. Yes, I'll make sure of that."

"You're welcome, miss Harper." Lucius noticed her lack of enthusiasm and wished he hadn't been so dismissive earlier, when she did hug him in gratitude. He would have given a limb to find her body against his again. With a small sigh, he turned his head towards the fire, when suddenly, Mina bent down to give him a small kiss on his cheek. She swiftly left the study, without making eye-contact and Lucius didn't even realize it at first. He sat there, gently touching the cheek that she kissed, wondering if he should be angered or flattered.

Mina bit her lip as she rushed out of the room. When she gave Lucius a peck on his cheek, she had smelled his scent again and it was driving her absolutely wild. She had dinner with the staff, enjoying the food to the fullest as usual. Once she was done doing the dishes, she went to her room to undress and put on her fluffy pink bath robe and fuzzy slippers. She peeked her head outside the door and saw that none of the servant were roaming the hallways. The girl walked out of her room and towards the bathroom. She opened the door and went inside, expecting an empty bath. But instead she found a bathroom that was lighted by several candles and a prepared bath, flower petals scattered in the water. Next to it, a silver tray with a vial of something that seemed like thick purple oil. When Mina opened it and smelled the liquid, she found that it was lilac-scented bath oil. With a smile, she poured the content into the water, her smile growing wider when she realized that the oil made a flower pattern in the water before turning into foam. Lord Malfoy had used his magic to prepare this for her and she was truly touched by the gesture. As she sank into the hot water, she told herself to pick some flowers for his breakfast tray in the morning. It was the least she could do to thank him.

As she looked around the bathroom, she noticed just how beautiful it was. The faucets were snake heads with little green emeralds for eyes. The bath tub itself stood on little silver feet and was off-white, instead of the usual boring white. Across from her there hung a oval mirror on the wall, the frame decorated with little green emerald. By closer inspection Mina noticed that the frame was made of silver snakes. Underneath the mirror there was an off-white sink, but it was on top of the sink, instead of built inside of it, as if there was a large bowl on a table. The cabinets were made of wood, and a certain grey color, that made the wood look very warm. The rack next to the mirror had the softest white towels that Mina ever laid eyes on. A wooden circle hanging from the wall also contained a white towel, so visitors could dry their hands after washing them. Besides the regular furniture one would find in a bathroom, Lord Malfoy had several small tables scattered about, with different types of vials and flasks, filled with different colors of liquid.

On each table, there was a different shade of purple candle placed, giving the whole room an even warmer look. If Mina could change something about it, she'd only add some lilac towels between the white ones, to accentuate the warmth of the room, but that would be it.

As she laid there, she imagined how next week was going to be. Her in her gown, off to that banquet with Lord Malfoy…maybe they would even dance..no, Minnie, don't be silly, Mina thought. Why would he dance with you? But on the other hand…why not? It does seem like he has an interest that goes beyond her school results. And she definitely returned it. She felt butterflies flutter around in her stomach and sighed happily as she sank deeper into the warm water. Her hands roamed over her body and found her womanhood. 

Meanwhile in Lucius's study, Lucius was thinking of Mina. Of her body, soaked in the warm water and oils that he put out for her. The more he thought of her naked, the more aroused he got. It had been so long since he had felt a female presence, known it intimately.

"She is sixteen, don't be daft…" He whispered to himself, as he stared at himself in the large mirror that hung from one of the walls in his study. One hand was firmly planted against the wall as his other hand grasped the glass of brandy he was drinking. He stared into his own eyes as he did his best to put the girl out of his mind. How could he ever feel desire for a muggleborn girl? The kind he was taught to hate, to be repulsed by? But she wasn't repulsive. She was kind and she was good. And if he could trust Dumbledore's judgment then she was an excellent student as well. The whole situation reminded him of that girl…Granger. Draco always went on and on about what a nightmare the girl was, showing off her skills. He knew his son had been extremely annoyed with the girl, since she was muggleborn but a very good witch. A better witch than Draco was a wizard, even. Knowing what he did now and feeling what he did now, Lucius wondered if Draco had been in love with the girl, without realizing it.

Then it hit him. He was in love with her. With the muggle girl. The mudblood. He swallowed hard and downed the brandy in a single go, not caring about the burning feeling that it left in his throat. Love…what did love even mean after Narcissa? No, he couldn't say for sure this was love. But he did desire her. He wanted her. When he saw Duncan with the girl, he felt himself get insanely jealous and wanted to mark her as his. With a necklace that had his symbol, with hickey's in her neck…anything that would turn other men off. But the thought of actually mating with the girl turned his stomach and he felt the urge to throw up all of a sudden. Lucius poured himself some water to settle his stomach and shook his head.

"When does it ever get easier…" He asked himself out loud, rather tired from all these conflicting emotions.

Once he felt a little better, he sat down behind his desk and started to write a letter to the agency that Duncan worked for. He wrote that Duncan's services would no longer be needed, but that he wanted a replacement that he would approve of, before Duncan was told this news. He felt better once the letter was done and given to an owl. There. No more flirting. Now all he had to do was keep an eye on the two of them until that replacement was here. Lucius almost wrote that he would insist on a female employee, but he figured that would be a little much. Also, there might be talk if he insisted on a female, and he didn't need even more talk.

In a street far away, a red-haired girl pulled her cloak further over her head. It was no use. The rain fell so hard that she was entirely soaked. But she had to do this. She had to report to her mistress. The girl rang the doorbell of number 18. The door looked shabby, the paint almost completely peeled off. A woman opened the door, smirking when she saw the drenched girl in front of her.

"Lucy. What a delight. Come in." The woman mused, stepping aside to make room for the girl. Lucy hurried inside, walking past the woman. She grabbed Lucy's chin roughly and frowned.

"Is this how you greet me? Tsk, tsk,tsk. You know better than this, girl." She said, her mouth turning into a snarl as she scolded Lucy. She ran her fingernail down the girls cheek as she cupped her cheek.

Lucy whimpered, not wanting to get in trouble with her mistress. "Forgive me, mistress. It is so nice to see you, I've missed you." The girl said in a tiny voice. The woman smirked and kissed her feverishly. The girl returned the kiss, but not with the same passion as the woman did. This did not mean the same to the both of them, but Lucy knew better than to let her know how she truly felt.

Their understanding was clear. Lucy would spy on Lucius and report back. In return she was allowed shelter, food, clothes, whatever she needed, when she needed it. And because Lucy wasn't able to fall back on her parents and already graduated Hogwarts, she had no other choice. The fact that this woman practically treated her as a slave was something she would just have to deal with. The woman used a tricky bit of magic that caused Lucy's payments to go straight to her, instead of Lucy herself, so working and staying at the manor was no option either. Besides, the sexual relationship wasn't completely unpleasant. It surely was exciting and thrilling for her. But her mistress was head over heels while Lucy's heart….was with Lucius. That was also part of why she agreed with the whole ordeal, she was absolutely infatuated with the man.

"You are soaking, dear girl, let me fix that up for you. Go to the living room." The woman instructed Lucy, following the girl towards it. Once inside, she grabbed her wand and used a charm to make hot air come out of the tip of her wand. She dried Lucy's cloak, her hair and her clothes.

""Thank you, mistress." Lucy murmured, feeling better now that she was no longer cold and shivering.

"Sit, sit."

Lucy sat down as the woman rushed off to get them some refreshments. The house was small and obviously a cheap resort. With Lucy's pay, the woman wasn't able to afford much more, of course. She could act all high and mighty, Lucy thought, but she was poor scum. She quickly buried that thought, since she had no idea if her mistress was able to read her mind or not.

Her mistress returned and put down a tray. She picked up the teapot and poured them both some tea.

"Now. Lucy, little Lucy…" She started, her voice thick with lust. She narrowed her eyes at the girl, as if she was trying to decide if she did something wrong or not.

"Yes mistress?" Lucy answered, feeling herself getting hot and bothered under the stare of her mistress. She was not unpleasant to look at and she knew how to get the girl in the mood.

"Tell me. What has my husband been up to lately?" She asked Lucy with a smirk, sitting back and sipping her tea.

"Oh, a whole lot, mrs. Malfoy, a whole lot." Lucy replied and started to list what she had seen, telling her about Mina Harper. That dirty muggle girl.


	8. Chapter 8 - A drive with Richard

The next day Mina woke up at six, cursing her alarm with terrible obscenities. Even though the bath had made her mellow and relaxed, she tossed and turned all through the night. When she did sleep, she dreamed about all the possible ways that their night out could go wrong. What if her dress wasn't appropriate after all? What if she said something stupid in front of people? And Lord Malfoy would get mad at her for that? But no, now was not the time to worry over these things. Now she had to drag her tired behind out of bed and make it to the breakfast table.

Once she made it down there, she felt her stomach growl and realized how hungry she was. Richard was the only one at the breakfast table, he smiled when he saw her.

"Hey, wee lass. How did you sleep, eh?" He asked her kindly in his heavy accent and Mina smiled.

"Well, thank you." She lied. "How did you sleep, Richard?" As they talked, the girl helped him with putting cutlery on the table.

"Ay, well. Tis a beautiful day." He answered and poured them both some coffee.

"Sure is, sure is." Mina confirmed and sipped from the bitter beverage. She made a face and quickly added some cream and sugar. Richard chuckled. "Lass, we're a bit short staffed today, would ya mind bringing Malfoy his breakfast? My knee is rotten, I hate those stairs."

Mina was a bit surprised that Richard spoke with so little respect about their employer, but didn't comment on it. "No problem, what do I need to do?"

"Bit of everything, coffee, juice." He explained and Mina felt her insides twitch. His bedroom. She was to go into his bedroom to bring him his breakfast again. Where he slept. Dreamt…who knows what else he did in there.

"Go on now, I'll bake you some eggs and bacon as a reward while you're up there." Richard promised her with a wink and Mina blushed a bit. He was not unattractive after all. Quickly she put a bit of all the food on the plate and ran outside for some lilacs. She put them in a small glass filled with water and then brought the tray upstairs.

The girl balanced the tray on her knee as she used one hand to knock on the door. "Yes." She heard Lord Malfoy say from behind the door. She opened the door and went inside, trying not to stare at him.

"Good morning, sir. Eh…Richard asked me to eh...bring this." Mina murmured and tried to keep her eyes down. As she set the tray down on the nightstand, she noticed that Lucius was wearing black satin pyjama trousers, but nothing else. He sat there, bare-chested, looking at her with stoic eyes.

"Did he? Well, thank you, miss Harper." He said shortly and rose a brow when he saw the lilacs on his tray. He was a little flustered and did his best not to show the girl. He expected one of the others to bring in the tray, but he forgot that Lucy was not present today, who usually brought him his breakfast. Her ankle was injured worse than she initially thought. Miss Harper presented a breath of fresh air from that dreadful Lucy, that was a given, but still she made him uncomfortable. Then it hit him. She handled his food. A muggle girl. A mudblood. It made him lose his appetite but he knew he could never say it. Or maybe he could.

Mina was already heading for the door, when Lucius cleared his throat. She looked back at him when she heard it.

"Miss Harper? Use gloves next time, thank you."

"Gloves, sir? I-I used cutlery to handle the food…I had no idea Lucy used gloves."

"Lucy's a pureblood…" Lucius didn't even finish his thought, he heard how bad it sounded as soon as it left his mouth. Mina's jaw dropped at the mean comment and she squeezed her eyes shut as she turned her head back and rushed out of the bedroom. Lucius sighed and shook his head. Great. Wonderful, Lucius. This would be a great ice breaker for their outing next week. If she was still coming at all. With a shake of his head, he lifted the glass with the twigs of lilacs and smelled it.

As she rushed down the stairs, Mina couldn't stop her tears from falling. Once she was back in the kitchen, she was crying audibly.

"Lass! What's the matter?" Richard asked her, shocked to see her like this. "He…he…" At first Mina wasn't even able to form audible words. She dropped herself on the chair across from Richard and regrouped before she started to explain. "He told me to use gloves next time. I said I had no idea Lucy used them. Then he said…." Her voice broke again. "He said that she was a pureblood. So it's because I'm a dirty muggle-born. A mudblood."

Richard shook his head and tsked. "Tsk, tks, tsk. That bampot..don't you worry about it, lass. We're all very glad to have ya. Here, eat up. You can help me today if you like, to stay out of his way, yeah?"

"What's a bampot?" Mina asked with a chuckle, happy that he was doing his best to cheer her up.

"A bassa, lass! A doaty, a dobber!"

Now Mina laughed out loud. "I know less now than when I asked!" She cried out, holding her stomach laughing. Richard laughed as well, glad to see her tears disappear.

"Eat up, yeah? I'll go make a list of what we need." He said warmly and Mina smiled, stuffing her face with the delicious meal he prepared for her.

Once was done eating, she quickly cleared the table and washed her plate. By then, Richard was done preparing and they went on their way. They went into his pick-up truck and drove to a little village nearby, to stock up. "We could go by broom or floo, but it's a hassle, with all those groceries we need." He explained along the way.

"I like to drive, something normal for a change." Mina told him, happy to have a moment of rest.

"Tell me, lass, why are you with us? I know it's none of my business but…"

Mina shrugged with a smile. "It's fine, I don't mind talking about it. The law for witches and wizards changed after the battle of Hogwarts, as you may have heard, we have to pay tuition now. My mom can't pay for it, so Malfoy offered me a job on weekends, in exchange for the school tuition." When she saw the frown on Richard's face, she explained further.

"Nope, no dad. He left us. When me and my brother were little. Never looked back. Neither did my brother, he left later and we never heard from him again either. So I'm kinda stuck with Malfoy. He's the only one that can make sure I can finish my education."

Mina didn't notice, but while she was telling Richard about her past and that Malfoy was her only hope, the girl started to blush. Richard did notice. This meant trouble, he just knew it. As long as the others didn't know, it would be fine. Maybe. He'd keep his mouth shut about it, that was a given.

After a 30 minute drive, they came across the village Richard told her about and they went to the local general store. Mina glanced at their list and saw that they needed cleaning supplies. She made herself useful and started to gather them. Green soap, she saw on the list. The girl chuckled. How old fashioned. There were so many more advanced products they could use, but they were muggle made. Vinegar….old fashioned, but effective. Come to think of it, the whole store was pretty old fashioned. Big chance this was a town with only magical residents. There was a big wooden barrel near the counter, with a sign sticking out of it, filled with pickled fish. Throughout the store rows and rows of wooden crates, on tables, under tables. They were filled with the products that the store sold, as if Mina went back in time 30 years. Across from the store stood an old fashioned fridge, filled with glass bottles of milk and yoghurt. It looked delicious and despite Mina's large breakfast, she felt her stomach growl in hunger. Quickly she gathered the other small items on the list, leaving the large orders for Richard, as he asked her to in the car. Richard paid the man behind the counter and together they loaded all the items into the pick-up truck.

"Have you ever made your truck fly? With a spell?" Mina asked, a big grin on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. Richard grinned back. "Of course not, that would be against the rules." He answered with a wink, with a tone that implied it did happen and that it was an amazing adventure.

"So the town is not that far from the house, why does he have two people in charge of supplies?" Mina asked once they were both seated in the truck again.

"Oh lassie, this isn't all he need, he sends us all kinds of places. He buys and sells art, statues, artifacts, that's how he makes most of his money. That's why he's so rich. He makes a fortune selling things, plus his salary from the ministry. He sends me and Simon to collect whatever he bought. The money business, he handles that himself. Wouldn't trust a lowly worker with that, after all." He told her with a bitter chuckle.

Mina just nodded in response, that sounded exactly like Malfoy, to make them do the hard work without trusting them with the financial side of the case.

"Is that why his wife left? All of that unpleasantness?" Mina inquired and did her best to sound casual. She was very curious of the lady of the house. What kind of woman was she? And why did she leave?

"It's cause they were followers of Tom Riddle, lass. Death eaters. But Narcissa wanted none of it after the battle. Left with Draco, that poor sod. Boy never stood a chance with a family like that."

"Why do you work for him?"

Richard was taken aback by the question. "I don't mean to pry, but you seem so nice, I can't imagine you having the patience to work for that tyrant." The girl explained, feeling guilty for asking something that was obviously personal.

"You've been so open with me." Richard thought out loud, before continuing his story. "I was married, wanted to make some extra money, to pay for the honeymoon…"

Mina could sense the pain in his voice as he told his story.

"But she left me. I didn't want to think of my future. I still don't. I enjoy the people I work with. I don't have to deal with my boss a lot. So I can manage. I try not to think about how bad he is."

"Any woman who would leave you is a bampot." Mina told him, with a very serious face. Richard threw his head back and laughed out loud, like Mina never saw him laugh before.

"Ay, a bampot. Thank you, lass."

They chatted some more, about this and that and arrived back at the manor. Mina grabbed a crate full of groceries and refused any of Richard's warnings about it being too heavy. "You're getting your clothes all dirty…ah never mind you stubborn …" The rest of his sentence sounded incoherent and Mina chuckled to herself. She was indeed getting some dirt on her lilac sweater, but what did it matter? She could wash it off easily.

Inside of the kitchen, her smile evaporated. Malfoy stood there, angrily tapping his fingers on the walking cane he was gripping tightly. As soon as he saw Mina, he started to chastise her.

"Where have you been?" He hissed softly, Mina found it scarier than yelling somehow. "I have an empty house, no note, nothing! Do I have to do everything myself while you are gallivanting…"

He stopped speaking when Richard entered the kitchen, holding a crate as well. "My lord, the lass helped me with the groceries and…" He started to explain as he put the crate on the kitchen counter. He grabbed Mina's crate of her hands and put it there as well, but Malfoy did not let him finish his sentence.

"And what? You take my maid for that? Without consulting me first?" Now Malfoy started to raise his voice, Mina felt so bad about the whole situation.

"My lord, you were enjoying your breakfast, I didn't want to disturb you. Since Simon has a day off and Lucy…"

"Silence!" Malfoy hissed, glaring at Richard. Mina felt the frustration bubble up inside of her and found it hard to keep her mouth shut.

"Then why ask him?" Mina suddenly blurted out. The two men stared at her as if she just declared that she was Voldemort herself. "You asked him a question." She continued, her voice shaking. "You ask him a question and then tell him to be quiet, that's a little strange. I offered to help Richard out, I told him you were okay with it. I was uspet, so I needed some time away from the house." She concluded, clasping her hands behind her back and lifting her head, a bit more confident.

Lucius Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the girl and realized that she tricked him into this situation. By mentioning how upset she was, he was now forced to apologize for it. He didn't like it.

"How would you like indefinite time away from my house, miss Harper?" He asked her calmly, the venom dripping from his voice. Now she'd surely crawl for him.

"Lass…" Richard said softly, seeing how annoyed Mina was getting with their Lord.

"Fine. I'll go pack my things." Mina answered and marched out of the kitchen, causing Lucius to drop his jaw in shock.


	9. Chapter 9 - The note

Richard shook his head and mumbled some under his breath as Malfoy stuttered a bit in shock.

"Wha…what is she doing? Stop her!" He ordered Richard as he pointed at him with his walking cane. Richard was a tad surprised at the order and stared at his employer. "Stop her, I said! You want to be next?!" Lucius growled, pacing back and forth throughout the kitchen.

"Yes, my Lord." Richard murmured and rushed after Mina, thinking he had never seen Lucius behave this way.

"Lass! Lass!" He called after Mina, but she almost reached her room already and did not look back. "Damn." He grumbled and picked up his pace. When he arrived at her room, the girl was throwing her belongings on the bed as tears streamed down her face.

"He wants me gone, fine, I'm gone, but he will apologize to me and to you." The girl rambled, her hands heavily shaking.

"He'll throw me out if you go." Richard said softly, but firmly, so Mina knew exactly what was going on. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, wide-eyed.

"He sent me up here, or I was gonna be next. Please, lass, calm down. For both our sakes?" He asked her calmly. She sighed and bowed her head. "Fine. I don't want you to get caught up in this."

She followed Richard downstairs again and into the kitchen, where Lucius was leaning against the kitchen counter, impatiently tapping his cane against the floor.

"Ah, miss Harper." He stated, the anger clear in his voice. "No more of this foolishness. I want you to clean yourself up and go get your dress and shoes at Hogwarts. That'll be the end of this."

Mina just nodded and then bowed her head, to hide the intense anger and pain she was feeling. She felt humiliated, to be treated like this. Most of all it was humiliating to Richard.

"That'll be all, Richard." Malfoy commented sharply. Richard gave them both a little nod and hurried out of the kitchen.

"Miss Harper, I do not think these are suitable conditions to go out together next week, what do you think?" The blonde wizard asked her in a silky voice once they were alone.

Mina looked up. Was this supposed to scare her? Why would she care if they went out or not? He ruined it with his attitude already.

"No. I think you should apologize to me. And to Richard." She told him, not caring what he'd do or say.

Again she saw his jaw drop and decided that was a lovely sight, to see such a poised and refined man shocked so badly.

"Miss Harper…" The man started sharply and Mina rolled her eyes. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He then asked, a different tone now heard. One that Mina didn't hear before. It indicated danger. He was livid at her.

"I have a name. Sir. I'd prefer you use it." Mina stated softly, but with less vigor than her previous statements. She felt her knees get weak under his gaze.

"I beg your pardon?" Lucius growled.

"Okay. Beg." Mina retorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Yes, this was childish behaviour and far below her usual standard, but we have to remember that this is a sixteen year old girl. One that had to mature far sooner than she was ready for.

"Why, you insolent, little…" Lucius spat and stepped forward. Mina did the same, so their noses were almost touching.

"What? What am I?" She asked him defiantly and stared at his mouth that was so close to hers now. She caught him staring at hers and she bit her lip, now staring into his eyes. He was so handsome. Lucius tilted his head and closed in on her, it seemed as if he was going to kiss her. But when his mouth was practically touching hers, he spoke instead.

"Get your dress. Now. Then go back to work. Or this is your last day here." He whispered, his tone an intoxicating mixture of dominance and desire.

"Yes, sir." Mina answered, narrowing her eyes at him as she glared. Gods, she needed his mouth more than anything in this moment. But she did not make the first move. If her carrying his breakfast tray made him lose his appetite, a kiss would surely make him throw up. She curtsied at him, not breaking eye-contact. Then she turned around and marched out of the kitchen, to the fireplace. She threw some floo powder in the fire and appeared in the Ravenclaw common room.

Lucius swallowed hard and adjusted the collar of his blouse, wondering how the girl had him so enchanted. With a huff, he strode out of the kitchen and up the stairs, to hide in his study for some personal time and reflection.

Mina was breathing heavily as she stomped through the Ravenclaw common room, making a few students turn their heads.

Carla smiled when she saw her friend, looking up from the book she was reading. She crawled out of the comfy chair she was hanging in and walked with Mina to their bedroom. "Hey, how come you're here? You're not fired, are you?" She asked worried.

"No, no, I'm picking up a dress, he's taking me to some event next week, I want my dress to be there already, so I can't forget it next week." Mina said as she tried to sound cheerful and avoid eye contact. But Carla gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Mina? What's wrong?" She asked her and Mina flopped down on her bed with a frustrated groan.

"He's a nightmare, honestly! This morning he told me to wear gloves when preparing his breakfast. This other girl doesn't have to wear them, cause she is a pureblood. I went with Richard to get some groceries, he's this other guy that works there, and he went ballistic. Threatened to fire the both of us, cause we didn't consult him first! Now he is forcing me to come to this event with him, cause he wants to show off his pupil." The girl listed, leaving out the part where she had agreed to go to this event with him. Who knows what Carla would make of that.

Carla frowned. "Man, what a freaking tyrant." Mina made a sound. "That's what I said. Now I have to pick out a dress, I hardly own anything in the first place. I don't even have any shoes."

Now Carla smiled wide. "I'll get you shoes. Let's pick something out."

An hour later, Mina returned to Hogwarts, with a little make up bag, shoes and her dress wrapped in a garment bag. She didn't want Lucius to see her dress just yet. She wanted to wow him. Luckily Carla asked no further questions about the whole situation, Mina wouldn't have known how to explain it. All the confusing feelings and strange behaviour, it was a bit much to explain just yet. But soon, she'd pull her friend aside and tell her what was what.

She went to her room and put the dress in the small closet in there, so it wouldn't wrinkle, deciding that she wouldn't go and ask Lucius if the dress was appropriate or not. He wanted to be a jerk about the whole thing? Fine, then she'd be a jerk as well. Mina realized this was the smallest amount of jerk she was able to pull off, but she'd grasp the option with both hands.

Mina continued her tasks. She'd make sure Lucius didn't have a single complaint today. When it was time to bring him tea, she hesitated when she needed to grab the biscuits.

"Go on, dear, Lucy is not here, so you'll have to do it. Those stairs hurt my back." Madam Collins told her, she arrived just after lunch to oversee some tasks. Mina started to suspect all the physical ailments of the staff were lies, they just didn't want to deal with Lucius. How would she explain to madam Collins that Lucius didn't want her touching his food? Richard went away for the rest of the day, so he wasn't able to explain it either.

"Do you have gloves?" Mina asked in a tiny voice. "Lord Malfoy doesn't like me…touching his food." She added in a defeated tone.

"Take the biscuits upstairs, if he has any complaints, he can come and see me." Madam Collins said and stared at her with a disapproving look. Mina chuckled. That would be fun to see, the elder lady chastising Lucius as if he was a little boy. She put some biscuits on a plate and put the plate on a tray, which she took upstairs.

As usual, Lucius was in his study and Mina knocked before entering the room. Lucius sat behind his desk and was writing a letter. When he looked up at her, he narrowed his eyes at the cookies. Mina desperately wanted to point out that madam Collins had her back, but she resisted the urge.

"Good afternoon, sir, I have your tea." Mina murmured and walked into the study, setting the tray on the desk before taking the cup of tea and placing it in front of him. She places the plate with biscuits in front of him as well, almost cringed when he stared at them. She felt a hurtful remark coming.

"Miss Harper?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to bring me my tea from now on. Breakfast as well. Do inform madam Collins for me. She can inform Lucy." Malfoy stated as he brought the cup to his lips, blowing on the warm liquid before sipping it delicately.

"If that's what you wish, sir." Mina answered him and turned around to walk out of the room. Why this turn around, she wondered. Was it his way of apologizing? Or did he want more opportunities to make her feel bad?

"I want dinner served at seven." He instructed her further and Mina nodded, too angered to speak to him more. When it seemed like that were all the commands he had for her, she turned on her heels and left. Lucius frowned at the closing door, wondering what he could do to make this up.

She went downstairs to put the tray back in the kitchen. She saw madam Collins preparing dinner. "Madam, can dinner be served at seven?" She asked her, keeping her mouth shut about how the encounter with Lucius went.

"Of course dear, no problem at all. I will make us something as well. We will eat in the kitchen, okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Oh and lord Malfoy wants me to bring him tea and breakfast from now on, could you please let Lucy know?"

"Of course, I'll inform Lucy once she is back."

After dinner, Mina returned to Hogwarts again, finding some letters delivered by owl on her nightstand. There was a little envelope, sealed with a wax seal. When she inspected it, she noticed two snakes coiled around the letter 'M'. The Malfoy seal, she thought. Quickly, she opened the little envelope and found a letter inside. With growing amazement, Mina read the letter.

 _"Dear miss Harper,_

 _It has come to my attention that I have acted rather cruel towards you. For this I wish to express my regret. As I've stated in my study, I wish for you to bring me my tea in the afternoon and my breakfast in the morning from now on. I am looking forward to our lessons again on Wednesday evenings but, sadly, I will not be able to make it the upcoming Wednesday, but I should be more available once the banquet has passed. I am also looking forward to our night out and I sincerely hope you do too. I have noticed you have not shown me your dress, but I can imagine why. I trust your judgment. I expect you to be ready at the fireplace of my manor, at 8'o clock sharp, next Saturday night._

 _Enjoy your week, miss Harper._

 _Kind regards,_

 _Lucius Malfoy."_

Mina was touched by the fact that he took the time to write her this letter, since he could have easily left things the way they were. Her anger faded and the butterflies that she felt about the upcoming week came back. With a smile, she fell backwards on her bed, putting the letter over her heart with a sigh of happiness.


	10. Chapter 10 - Cinderella for a night

The next week was rather uneventful. Mina went to school, spent time with Carla and Mickey where she could and at the end of the week, left for Malfoy Manor again. Madam Collins greeted her and gave her a list of tasks for the weekend. Both Friday and Saturday, Mina did not encounter Lucius. She felt relieved but disappointed at the same time. She wondered why she cared so much. She hand a hunch but didn't want to give that option any real thought.

Her workday ended on Saturday and the rest of the staff went home, planning some fun activities for themselves, since they didn't have to stay in the manor tonight. Mina ate her dinner in the kitchen and once she was done, she made sure to stay out of the way and went upstairs to get ready. A few minutes before 8 o'clock, she descended from the stairs in the dress she picked out for tonight. It was a lilac dress, of course. The skirt reached to her knees and a silk lilac ribbon was tied around her waist. Above her waist, a sleeveless top with a sweet heart neckline, covered in a see-through lilac layer, covering her shoulders. The layer was covered in tiny little lilac flowers, giving the dress a delicate look. Mina tried on the shoes that Carla lent her and smiled when she noticed they were exactly her size. At first she had thought the shoes too gaudy, since they were silver high heels. But now that she was wearing them with her dress, also wearing a pair of simple silver earrings and a silver bracelet, it looked very classy. She applied some light make up to finish her look and gave the mirror a smile before heading downstairs.

Lucius was standing near the fireplace, looking at her as she came down. He was in awe but did his best not to show it. She looked absolutely stunning, especially wearing her signature color. The dress was not a standard dress for occasions such as this, but nevertheless it fitted perfectly for some reason. He gave her a small nod and a weak smile instead of the kiss he wanted to give her. He wanted to claim her, hold her…have her…Awkwardly he cleared his throat as he tried to ban these things from his mind.

"You eh…look well. Pretty." He finally stated and held out his arm for her to take.

Mina reluctantly accepted. "Thank you." Her voice was whisper, she was pretty impressed by him as well. He was wearing a very fine black cloak, with a silver necklace attached, that formed two snakes on his chest. Underneath a dark-red blazer with a white blouse underneath. She thought it wiser to not point out that the cloak was completely useless, since they would travel by floo and not come out in the open air.

Lucius escorted her to the fireplace and eyed her up and down. "I do not want your dress to get dirty." He murmured and before she knew it, he wrapped her up in his cloak, standing quite close to her in the fireplace. Mina's heart was pounding in her chest and she almost felt like she was shaking, being so close to him. Was she mistaken or did she hear his heartbeat as well? The moment passed as Lucius grabbed a hand of floo powder and murmured their location, sending them into the fireplace.

They emerged from a fireplace in a different manor, one that was even bigger than Malfoy manor. A huge staircase stood right across from them, with marble steps decorated with fine gold lines. Huge windows decorated with lush green curtains were seen throughout the large hall and the hall itself was furnished with long tables against the walls. On the tables were the finest white tablecloths and they were filled with delicious types of food. One table was set up for drinks, a few house elves were pouring them for the large number of guests that occupied the room. They were dressed in their finest evening wear and dancing and chatting all over.

Lucius pulled back his cloak, clearing his throat awkwardly again when he noticed a few people looking at them. He helped Mina step out of the fireplace and gave his cloak to a house elf.

"Thank you, sir. Good evening, miss." The little creature squeaked and bowed to them.

"Hello, good evening to you too." Mina replied with a smile and Lucius glared at her.

"Don't be friendly to the help, they are just servants." He hissed at her as he brushed some soot off his clothes.

"Like me?" Mina asked him plainly and left his side before he could answer. The house elf giggled behind her hand and quickly rushed off when Lucius glared at her as well.

"Miss Harper, Miss Harper!" Lucius hissed while chasing the girl, doing his best to be as quiet and as loud as he could, at the same time. "Mina!" He now growled and Mina had to stop walking, since the sound of his voice saying her name made her knees weak.

Lucius caught up to her and stood behind her, whispering in her ear.

"I'd advise you not to make a fool out of me here. It was a poor choice of words, that will be the end of it. Do not upset your benefactor, girl." He murmured in her ear and grazed the shell of her ear with his lips, making Mina gasp and swallow hard.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'll behave." She whispered causing Lucius to smirk.

"Very good, now, let's introduce you to our host. Victor!" He answered softly and said the name out loud, when a man walked up to them. Lucius shook his hand and pointed around with his cane.

"Wonderful party, old man, wonderful. Do meet my pupil, miss Harper, student at Hogwarts. Ravenclaw."

Mina shyly stepped forward and gave the man a weak handshake. He shook hers with vigour and a smile, his big grey moustache wiggling on his face as he spoke to her.

"Ravenclaw eh, that means you have a good brain on you, that's good, that's good. I'm Victor Sandoval, nice to make your acquaintance, young lady. I can't say I know the name Harper, where do your parents work? The ministry?"

"Eh no, my mother sings at a local pub in her home town." Mina explained and wondered if Victor's eyebrows were going to fall off his face with how high he was raising them. "She is a muggle. My father is no longer with us." The girl went on, figuring this explanation about her dad was good enough, since he was indeed not with her or her mother.

Lucius made a face, she could tell that she said something wrong, but what? When Victor started to chuckle awkwardly, she knew she'd find out soon.

"A muggle-born, Lucius? A real one? You are supporting a mu…" Victor stopped speaking before he could finish that thought but Mina knew what he wanted to say. Mudblood. She was dirty to him, because her mother was a muggle.

"Victor, you will not speak about my pupil in such a way. Times have changed. I have changed. I assure you she is quite competent." Lucius said delicately and took two glasses of white wine from a hous elf offering them some on a platter. There were two reasons that Lucius stood up for Mina. The first was a little embarrassing, he was hoping that his statement would find its way to Narcissa. Who knew, maybe she'd contact him if she thought him changed. The second reason might be more embarrassing, it was because she looked so beautiful. He had forgotten all about her display at entering the house, all he could think of was her beauty, her quirkiness. Her desire for justice, how poised she looked in a room filled with strangers that thought nothing of her if they knew the truth. She was regal. That was the perfect word. Lucius offered Mina one of the glasses and gave her a slight bow as he did.

The girl blushed, touched that he stood up for her like that, oblivious to his motives or agenda. She accepted the glass and took a small sip. The wine had a deep gold color, revealing by sight that it would have no ordinary taste. And it was anything but ordinary. The liquid was thicker than usual wine, it tasted sweet and silky in her mouth, almost as if she was drinking pure honey. She swallowed with her eyes closed and hummed slightly, taking in the taste before smiling.

"That is a very good wine, lord Sandoval. Even with that bitter after taste." She commented and Victor gasped at her comment, making Lucius snort. He turned serious again and gave Mina a glare, which made her snort as well. Victor excused himself and grumbled as he walked off.

"I should be very upset with you for that." Lucius mused, smirking at the girl. Mina coyly chuckled and sipped some more of her wine.

"Go ahead." She told him with a wink, making Lucius feel things he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Don't tempt me, girl…" Lucius said in a husky voice, narrowing his eyes at her. Mina just grinned at him and finished her wine. Lucius did the same and took the glass from her hand, putting them on a tray of a house elf. Then he turned back to her and presented his hand. Mina blinked rapidly in reluctance, but accepted his hand shakily. Lucius smiled and pulled her closer to him, holding her waist carefully as he started to sway back and forth. Once they found the rhythm of the subtle music, they danced as if they had been dancing together for years.

Mina looked around as they danced and got teary-eyed. The wine was going straight to her head and the dancing caused a woozy feeling to spread in her head and body. The manor was so beautiful and dancing with Lucius was intoxicating. She wished this night would never end.

Lucius saw how touched she was and felt a warm feeling spread in his chest. It had been a long time, since he and Narcissa had a nice night out like this. Their years had been mostly colored by the dark lord's presence.

The music changed to a different song and Lucius stepped back, bowing at Mina. Mina curtsied and giggled a bit. Lucius led her towards a table and introduced her to some more people there.

"Mina Harper, meet Joanna Harris, Alby Witherton and Seamus Dormerton." He stated, gesturing at the group of people. "Meet my pupil, Mina Harper. Ravenclaw."

Mina shyly shook their hands and smiled.

"Ravenclaw? How interesting." Joanna said smugly, tilting her head at Mina. She instantly disliked the red-headed woman with green eyes.

"Yes, Ravenclaw, it's a fine house, miss Harris." Mina answered, feeling like a zoo animal.

Joanna scoffed. "I prefer Slytherin, thank you very much. At least you can be sure of the purebloods there." She said haughtily. "What about you, Lucius?"

"Mina is a very talented student." Lucius said discreetly. "How is Alistair, Joanna? I don't see him anywhere…" He added, a snarky tone in his voice. Mina wondered why he asked that, but Joanna did not answer, she walked off with a huff.

"A bit too much wine, perhaps." Lucius condescendingly noted. The others laughed and gestured for a house elf to bring them more drinks. Lucius passed Mina another glass as well, with the same wine she drank earlier.

Again she hummed happily when she tasted the golden liquid, she just couldn't help herself. She wasn't used to riches like this, after all. Like before, the wine went straight to her head and she felt the tension leave her body. When Lucius asked her for another dance, she eagerly accepted.

They twirled around the dance floor as if they were lovers, causing the other guests to point and talk about them, but Mina didn't care. Lucius noticed, but the overwhelming feeling of happiness was too good to give up.

Around midnight, when a good part of the guests had already left, he suggested they would head home. "It's getting late after all, you have an early day." He casually told her and laughed when a look of shock came over the girl. "Just kidding, you can sleep in." He whispered to her with a wink. Mina laughed relieved, it was so nice that he was being silly with her.

The butterflies in her stomach were far too wild for her to ignore at this point. She knew she was madly in love with Lucius. And she had a hunch that he felt the same way. Why else would he make such a big deal out of this evening?

After getting his cloak back from the house elf that hung it up for him earlier that evening, the wizard grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace, holding out his free hand for her to grab onto. "Malfoy manor." He said firmly and they were off. They arrived back at the manor and Lucius helped Mina to step out of the fireplace. The house was empty, as Lucius requested from his staff.

Mina felt herself get giddy, she just knew that Lucius was going to kiss her. How could he not after the perfect night they had?

Lucius watched her, biting that lip again as she did when she was nervous. He could see how excited she was and he suspected to know what it was. He had felt the butterflies as well, the happy feeling when they danced, their banter….but how could he do this? The second that he'd kiss her, he'd want more.

"I eh…" He started to say as he took off his cloak and hung it on a nearby coat rack. The girl stared at him wide-eyed, fumbling with her hands. Again he was stricken with her beauty. He stepped closer and firmly planted his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him without giving her any room to escape. There was a hint of fear in her eyes, but it was overwhelmed with desire and need. It stroked his ego and he felt his manhood swell in his pants. With his free hand, he wiped a lock of hair out of her face and stroked her cheek with a finger.

"Sir..I.." Mina started to say, she felt herself get wet for the man, a feeling she hadn't experienced often in her life. The girl was no virgin, there had been a charming Slytherin boy in her fifth year that was able to sweep her off her feet, but it didn't last. It was ironic that she was now again in the arms of a Slytherin.

"Hush, girl." Lucius stopped her before she could go on and leaned in, tilting his head. Mina closed her eyes, a small gasp of anticipation falling from her lips. This was it, he was going to kiss her. Lucius glanced over Mina's shoulder and saw a familiar face staring back at him, with that same familiar disapproving look. It was the picture of Narcissa, that he forgot to remove from the mantel above the fireplace. The image narrowed its eyes at him and shook her head. Malfoy felt his stomach turn, his wife…ex wife….seeing him kiss a muggle…a muggle-born witch….he stared at Mina's lips again and suddenly felt like he was taking advantage of the girl. She was sixteen years old…this was wrong…this was illegal…

"Miss Harper, I expect you to take care of breakfast tomorrow morning, since the rest of the staff is not here. No later than 9'o clock, I have an appointment at 11. Am I making myself clear?" He stated, with a sudden lack of interest.

Mina opened her eyes, staring at him as if he had suggested she'd take a bath with slugs. "What? Breakfast? I eh…"

"Yes, breakfast, you are hired here to help around the house after all." Lucius replied with a certain shortness in his voice.

This made Mina frown, he was sending a myriad of mixed signals. For starters, he still hadn't let go of her waist, so he was keeping her in place, trapped in this awkward moment of rejection. The girl tried to pull herself loose, but it only made him grip her tighter, as if he was mad at her for his own choice of not kissing her. With his free hand, he grabbed her right arm and squeezed it.

"You're hurting me…" Mina said in a tiny voice ,wincing when h brought his face closer to hers. And it was true, he was squeezing her arm rather hard at this point. He was also hurting her heart but she wouldn't admit that to him.

"Stop trying to seduce me, miss Harper, it's not very becoming." He told her firmly, narrowed his eyes at her.

"Isn't it?" Mina fired back, heavily annoyed that he was prolonging this torturous moment for her. "Because I get the impression that you desperately want this." She added, narrowing her blue eyes at him as well. For a moment, Lucius was speechless by her cheek and Mina relished in the moment of pure shock and anger she saw in his eyes.

"Go to your room, girl." Lucius hissed at her and let her go. Mina shook her head.

"I turn seventeen next month." She said without looking at him, heading for the stairs to go to sleep.

It would be his choice what he'd do with that information.


	11. Chapter 11 - Hide and seek

Lucius sighed as he heard the girl storm up the stairs. He couldn't blame her for being annoyed or even very angered with him. If things were the other way around, he'd feel rather tricked as well. But how could he explain the many objections he was having to taking her into his arms and making her his? For starters there was her blood status. It was one thing to represent her as his pupil, but to court a muggle-born? That was a big step beyond that. Besides what the wizard community would think, it made his stomach turn, the thought of kissing a muggle-born girl. He could not help himself, his beliefs were so strong, they were so indoctrinated… Mudbloods were dirty. That was it. But her smile…her eyes…her kindness…they made him doubt. To her it didn't matter, what he was, who he was. Lucius, take a hold of yourself, he told himself firmly. Even if all of this didn't matter, she was sixteen years old. How would it look if he dated a sixteen year old? At his age! And what if Narcissa came back? But that seemed less important after tonight. It hurt less. Not his longing to see his son again, that was as present and as painful as it was since Draco left. But Narcissa….perhaps this was a way to forget her. Lucius sat down in an armchair near the fireplace and lit the fire with a spell. He stared into the flames and pondered over what Mina had said. She'd turn seventeen next month…

Mina told herself to stop being so silly. Once she arrived at the top of the stairs, she had convinced herself that she misunderstood all of his signals and that he didn't want anything of her at all. That would be the easiest way of dealing with it all. The ball was in his court now. Maybe Duncan was someone to pursue after all. She expected to be tossing and turning all night but once her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

In the morning, the sound of birds woke the girl up. She groaned as she felt that that fifth glass of wine had most definitely been too much. Her head was exploding and there were balls of light blowing up behind her eyes. "What the fuck…" Mina whispered as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She sat up straight and felt her stomach turn. Desperately, the girl hoped and begged that she wouldn't throw up. What would Lucius say? Lucius. Breakfast…she was late! Without even looking at her alarm, Mina knew that she was late. She jumped out of bed, ignored the nauseous feeling that came over her and started to throw on her clothes as fast as she could. With a glance on her alarm clock, she was it was close to 9:30. Fuck. Late indeed. Lucius wanted breakfast served at 9:00. If she'd start right away, he still wouldn't have any food before 10. Should she go to his room before she went downstairs? While she was freshening herself up, she thought this over. She'd have to go into his bedroom. After last night. He'd be angry with her, especially after her performance. But if she'd go downstairs first, he wouldn't know anything…he would sit there cooking in his own anger. Hard as it was going to be, she would simply have to go and see him first.

Mina finished her morning routine and made her way to Malfoy's bedroom door. She knocked twice but got no answer. Hm, strange. Should she knock again? Or was this her cue to leave him alone? God, this was so difficult. The girl decided to go into his bedroom as quietly as she could. No night light on, strange. She peeked her head around the corner and saw that Lucius was still asleep. This was great! He had no idea that she overslept! She looked at him a few moments more, noticing just how beautiful he was. His long blonde hair was spread over his pillow, as he was sleeping on his stomach. Mina could see the muscles moving in his back as he breathed steadily. Realizing just how creepy she was being, the girl quietly closed the door again and went downstairs.

First she started to get some fire going in a few fireplaces, so the manor would be less cold when Lucius came downstairs. Then, she started to squeeze some oranges, until she had a pitcher filled with fresh orange juice. If she would make bacon and eggs, he would know that she was up late, since they wouldn't be cold. If he'd show up in the next half hour that is, but Mina was not about to take any risks. So instead of bacon and eggs, Mina started to chop up a variety of fruits and served a bowl of yoghurt. There. Now he'd never know she was up after 9 o 'clock.

The girl even thought of pouring him some coffee and used a spell to cool it off quicker, to finish her ruse. She took a small bowl of yoghurt and sprinkled some of the fruit on top and started to eat. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and sipped from it. This was nice, waking up alone. At Hogwarts, she had to eat breakfast with the rest of the students, which could get quite rowdy. The silence eased her into her day nicely.

After 10 minutes or so, there were footsteps on the stairs. Mina quickly poured a second glass of orange juice and added it to the tray, sitting back in her spot before Lucius could enter the kitchen. She looked up from the spot where she sat, as he walked up to her.

He was looked heavily annoyed and a little out of place in his black satin robe. Underneath he was wearing those silky black pyjamas and Mina's mind wandered as she was asking herself if he wore the top part under his robe or not. When she saw his fuzzy slippers, she almost giggled. Almost.

"Good morning , sir. I hope you slept well." She said softly, not making eye contact. When an answer did not come, she gazed at his eyes. They narrowed themselves at her, as if they were trying to find a reason to chastise her. She was not in uniform but instead she was dressed in a white short dress with a pair of sandals underneath. He couldn't say anything about that, officially she had the morning off.

"It's after 9 o'clock." He mused, eyeing her up and down.

"I'm so sorry, sir, you were in such a deep sleep that I didn't want to wake you up." Mina answered, hoping she'd sound convincing.

"How considerate." Malfoy retorted, a sneer clearly present on his face.

But Mina wasn't going to let him get the better of her. She stood up and poured away the cold coffee, making him some 'fresh' coffee instead. Then she placed the fresh coffee on the tray again and looked at him.

"Would you like your breakfast in your study, sir? Or should I bring it to your bedroom instead?" The girl asked him, sounding perfectly professional. It took all of her willpower not to scatter about like a scared little mouse but if she did that, he'd instantly know there was something going on.

Instead of answering her, Lucius sat down across from her and pulled the tray towards him. He sipped from the orange juice before he added the freshly cut fruit to his yoghurt. He started to eat and Mina sat down again as well, finishing her own breakfast.

"I wish to show you the gardens today. The maze as well. I recall you saying that you were so impressed by them." Lucius said awkwardly.

"Oh, I'd love that…" Mina said in a whisper, feeling her entire being elevated by this news.

"Speak up, miss Harper." Lucius said plainly, not looking at her. Instead, he sipped from his coffee.

Mina let out a little huff of discontent. She didn't like it when he treated her like a toddler. "I'd love that, sir." She said, a little louder. "But I thought you had an appointment today?" She added, remembering he told her this last night.

"I've decided to cancel. Sunday is not a day for work, what do you think?"

Mina gave him a 'really'-look and tilted her head.

"Well, at least not for me, that is." Lucius then added, extra pompous, making Mina chuckle.

"I am glad to see you are still able to smile at me." He said softly, averting his gaze.

"Sir, I'm sorry if I appeared ungrateful last night, I…" Mina started to say.

"Nonsense. I understand what…eh…well, let's just enjoy our breakfast."

"Thank you, for last night. I didn't have a chance to...I really enjoyed myself." Mina said softly, she realized that she didn't thank him yet and she wanted to.

"You're welcome. I am glad to hear. " Lucius answered and they quietly finished their breakfast, although this time it was not an awkward silence.

When Mina was done eating, she grabbed the plates and glasses and put them in the sink, starting to do the dishes. Lucius watched her as she did. Again he felt his body react to the situation and he was thankful that he was wearing a robe. But he couldn't stop himself from going over to her, standing behind her and pressing his body against hers. Mina bit her lip and let out a small moan.

"Sir…I…"

"Hush.." He told her huskily, pressing his bulge against her bottom. His lips grazed the sensitive skin of her neck and she exhaled audible at the sensation it sent through her body. "Keep doing the dishes." He added, clearly amused with her intense desire.

With trembling hands, Mina continued doing the dishes, a whimper of frustration falling from her lips. Lucius reached around her and grabbed her wrists, slowly moving his hands up her arms. The girl rolled her hips so her backside grazed the obvious bulge in his trousers and he let out a grunt of need as well. Once he reached her shoulders, Mina was a panting mess. But he showed her no mercy. His hands moved to her back and slid down her back to her hips. Grabbing her hips, he pushed himself against her more firmly and panted as well, feeling his arousal grow rapidly. One hand slid up her body, over her breast and towards her neck. Lucius caressed her neck as softly as he could with his fingertips as his teeth grazed Mina's cheek. With his free hand, he cupped her breast, squeezing softly.

"Go on. The dishes." He encouraged her, when he noticed her hands were no longer working and the girl whined with frustration. "Do as I say." He whispered and gently bit down on her neck.

Mina hissed in pleasure pain and slowly started to move the sponge she was clenching in her fist over the plate she was washing.

Malfoy's mouth moved towards her earlobe and he softly bit in it, making Mina whimper even more.

"Very good, very good. I'll go and dress and collect you for a stroll in a few minutes, miss Harper." He whispered in her ear and chuckled a bit. Mina swallowed hard once he removed his hand from her body and she felt wobbly. Lucius strode out of the kitchen to dress himself as he stated.

Still panting a little, Mina finished the dishes best as she could and waited for Lucius's return.

He came back in a grey coat, a grey pair of pants and white blouse with black jacket underneath.

"Ah, ready with the dishes, I see." Lucius stated, in an amused tone.

"Yes, sir, ready." Mina said, her voice hoarse with need. She hated how poised he was being. Why wasn't he losing himself like she was?

"Good. Come, come." He stated, turning on his heels and walking towards the greenhouse. He walked through the little room to reach the garden and held the door open for Mina.

"Thank you, sir." She said, waiting on him to catch up to her.

"Over here we have the pond." Lucius stated and showed it to her. Mina smiled. She had seen it before, when she explored the gardens herself, but Lucius seemed so proud that she didn't want to spoil this moment. The pond was filled with green leafs and water Lilies, little frogs leaping from pad to pad. The pond was rather large, there was definitely a deep end in the middle there. From between the Lily pads she could see small brightly-coloured fishes swim in the water. Duncan had made a small waterfall with round stones, giving it a finishing touch. Between the many stones and pebbles surrounding the pond, different flowers peeked through the boulders and whatnot, so the pond did not look too 'kept'.

"Absolutely lovely, sir." Mina complimented the scenery and Lucius picked a rose from one of the many rose bushes around.

"You are absolutely lovely, my dear." He replied and stepped closer, putting the rose behind her ear. He caressed her cheek with a finger, as delicate as he could.

"I eh…sir.." Mina started to murmur, being utterly confused by all these mixed signals he was sending her.

"This way." Lucius simply said and turned on his heels again, leaving Mina even more frustrated. She followed him to the maze and together they entered it. They strolled through it for a few minutes, in silence. Mina already lost her way. She hoped that Lucius would know the way back.

"It is lovely, sir, but I didn't take you as the playful kind." Mina commented, thinking that something whimsical as a maze was not really like Lucius.

"Draco was very fond of it growing up. I can't bring myself to get rid of it." Lucius said with a warm smile, thinking back of the happy moments he spent in this maze with his son.

"I'm sorry, sir, that must be very hard for you. I eh...heard. About your wife and your son. I am truly sorry." The girl rambled, while Lucius just smiled weakly.

"One day, I am sure he will contact me again." He just said, with a tired sigh.

"I hope the same for Clint, sir. My brother." Mina replied and Lucius looked at her. "I hope so too, Mina." He said warmly. The fact that he used her name made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside and the girl blushed.

A deviant smirk appeared on Lucius's face and he pinned her against one of the maze's walls, in the shrubbery. "I'll count to ten. You hide. If I find you, you are mine." He whispered in a hoarse voice and then started to count down from 10, closing his eyes. Mina felt all hot and bothered and noticed that he didn't let her go until he reached 6.

"Cheater!" She yelled back at him as she ran off, chuckling a bit. Lucius kept counting, unfazed.

Mina panted as she ran, feeling out of breath for several reasons. Above her, a storm broke loose and soon the rain was pouring out of the sky. Mina didn't care. Her mind was not on staying dry, her mind was with the game. Soon she heard footsteps behind her, racing closer. She made a left turn, a right turn and then turned left again. The footsteps had stopped. She bit her lip as she kept walking as quietly as she could. She started to walk backwards, so she could look behind her while escaping her 'wolf'. But alas, she didn't see the small twig on the ground and it made a cracking sound as she snapped it in two with her foot. Again the footsteps started to race towards her and she let out a small yelp of excitement as she started to run from the sound.

Soon Mina reached the centre of the maze, a large square of open space with a stone slab in the middle. The stone had the Malfoy crest imprinted on it and several spots were covered in moss. The footsteps died down and Mina thought she won. But from another opening, Lucius suddenly appeared and pulled her close.

"Found you." He whispered in a hoarse voice and Mina bit her lip. "But the footsteps…" Lucius chuckled. "A spell, dear. You should know better than that." He explained a bit cocky.

Before Mina could object, he caught her lips with his own in a hungry kiss, which she eagerly returned. When they both pulled back to gasp for air, Lucius looked down to find her dress completely stuck to her body. He noticed the rosy colour of her nipples, showing through her dress and growled in desire. He kissed her again, cupping her breasts and using the palms of his hands to apply pressure on her nipples through her dress, making the girl moan in pleasure. He moved them further and further back, until Mina was laying down on the Malfoy-crested slab of stone. Their bodies rubbed together as their kissing got more and more heated. Mina writhed underneath his touch and Lucius pawed at her body as he never broke their kiss. Above them thunder started to roar but then the storm passed without them noticing. They were too caught up in their pleasure.

But a voice, coming from the direction of the greenhouse, caused them to snap out of it.

"Lord Malfoy? Hello-ooh? I'm your new gardener. They said you were here."

Lucius got up and awkwardly cleared his throat as he allowed Mina to stand up as well. He adjusted his clothing and used his wand to make an opening through the maze's walls. That way, they wouldn't have to backtrack their route.

"You hired another gardener? What happened to Duncan?" Mina asked, not really knowing what else to say.

"None of your concern, miss Harper." Lucius answered as they passed through the magical openings. Mina rolled her eyes. Great. Back to last name basis.

Outside of the maze, Lucius's new gardener stood with his back turned. He noticed the two coming closer and turned around.

"Mina?" He asked, completely amazed. Lucius narrowed his eyes. Was this an ex-boyfriend? Was he going to have to fire the boy on the spot? Duncan must have been informed by now, so he wasn't going to come back.

Mina's jaw dropped, silent for a few seconds when she took in who was standing in front of her.

"Clint?!"


	12. Chapter 12 - The lost brother

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Mina shouted at the young man and punched his shoulder with her fist.

"Ouch! What are _you_ doing here?" He asked her, rubbing the spot where the girl punched him. This was incredibly awkward, Clint had the urge to turn around and leave. But Mina would curse him before he even lifted his feet, he thought.

"I'm working here!" Mina threw back in a shrill voice.

"So am I, relax already." Clint murmured back, hoping she wouldn't start about the past in front of their boss.

Lucius had kept quiet until now, watching the scene unfold before him. He was painfully aware of how wrong his actions with Mina had been just now, before the boy showed up. He glanced at Mina and noticed the green spots on the back of her dress, most likely moss-stains from the stone slab. He took off his coat and put it around her shoulders.

"Got caught in the storm, huh?" Clint asked as he narrowed his eyes at the act, he had a hunch of what the two were doing in that maze. Mina glared back at him, not answering.

"Mister Barton, I thought I cancelled our appointment for today." Lucius said a tad sharp. He didn't like it that they were disturbed but at the same time he was relieved. Who knows what he would have done with the girl, had they not been interrupted.

"Never got that message." Clint answered with a shrug. "Agency must have been slow. Their closed on a Sunday and all." There was a hint of sarcasm noticeable in his tone and Lucius narrowed his eyes at him.

"I see. Well, since the troubled relationship between you and your sister, it doesn't seem like a good idea to keep working here. I will write them a letter that you'll feel better elsewhere." Lucius answered, taking delight in finding a way to fire Clint before he even started. He didn't need this boy to find about what he had been doing with Mina and being her brother, he'd probably be more perceptive than a stranger.

Mina started to get upset, why did Lucius decide this without even asking them about it? Who said they wouldn't be able to be professional? Thinking back to how she had greeted Clint, Lucius might have gotten an idea of how professional Mina was not…but still. Luckily, Clint interjected.

"Sorry to say this, sir, but they are extremely short-staffed at the moment. You created a whole lot of chaos already by asking for a replacement for Duncan." He said with a sigh, as if this had been hard on him as well. "So it will probably take weeks before they can send somebody else. I'll let them know you'd like to replace me, so they'll start it up as soon as they can, but maybe I can take care of things until that's arranged? I assure you that Mina and I will behave ourselves."

Lucius tensed his jaw as he thought this over. He was a rather vain man and this garden was his pride and joy. He'd hate for it to get neglected for weeks. And by the look that Mina just shot him, he figured that saying no to Clint now would not be appreciated. "Very well. Until they can send a replacement." He conceded. "Let's go inside, I am getting rather cold"

As Mina and Clint followed Lucius into the house, Mina glared at her brother. He looked back innocently. "What?" He asked her, shrugging.

"You are so full of shit, that agency isn't busy at all. I can tell when you're lying." She hissed at him but Clint just smirked. "Yeah, but he can't." He told her with a wink.

"What are you two murmuring about?" Lucius asked as he looked back as they arrived in the kitchen. He took out his wand and used the hot-air charm to dry them both him and Mina up.

"Nothing sir, we just have a lot to discuss." Mina said softly, not looking at Lucius. She took off his coat and handed it back to him. The man frowned, he didn't want Clint to see the stains on her back. But how was he going to tell her that?

"That will be all, miss Harper. No, hang on to my coat, bring it upstairs, please. To my study. Why don't you put it back on, your dress is rather short, don't you think?" Lucius said pointedly, staring at her intently. Mina nodded, put the coat back on and grabbed her want from the kitchen counter before she turned around to go upstairs.

"She has no manners, sir." Clint said in an apologetic way and got hit in the stomach by a snowball almost instantly. Mina had conjured it up and thrown it at him. The snow dissipated as soon as it hit the floor.

"No magic outside of Hogwarts, Minnie!" He yelled at her, but she already turned back and kept walking.

"Eat shit, fuckface!" She yelled back over her shoulder and Lucius was aghast at this use of language.

"Is this how you usually communicate, mister Barton?" He asked him in shock, almost making Clint snicker.

"Like I said, sir, no manners." He repeated himself and sat down at the kitchen counter. "So, shall we go over the yard? What would you like me to do? What was Duncan's routine?"

Lucius sat down as well to go over the details with Clint but his mind was with Mina and their shared kiss. That girl was turning his life upside down and he had no idea how he felt about it.

Mina was pretty sure how she felt, rather upset with Lucius. How could he turn so hot and cold all the time? Didn't he know what he was doing to her? After hanging his coat in his study, she went to her room and fell back on her bed. She decided to change her clothes, since Lucius had commented that her dress was so short. She changed into her uniform, so he wouldn't be able to call her out on that. "Damn…" She murmured when she saw the grass stains on the back. Soon the girl heard footsteps up the stairs and there was a knock on her door.

"Yes?"

Lucius came in and saw her in uniform. He nodded approvingly. "I want to see you in my bedroom, miss Harper. Immediately." He turned around and left for said room. Mina wondered why he wanted to see her there, instead of his study. Quickly she followed him there and closed the door behind her. Lucius sat at the vanity, looking into the mirror with cold and stoic eyes.

"Brush my hair for me." He commanded, sounding more snooty than ever.

Mina had to blink a few times to let the command sink in. Brush his hair for him? Who the hell did he think he was? His hair wasn't even messed up, he dried it with his wand after the rain.

Lucius saw her reluctance and glared at her through the mirror. "Was I in any way or form…unclear?" He asked her through gritted teeth and Mina picked up the brush on the vanity and began to brush his hair.

"Very good. Now. What happened this afternoon, will not happen again. There will be no pouting, there will be no acting out. There are too many eyes in this house and I cannot afford a scandal like this. Not after the Ministry is still keeping its eye on me. You are sixteen, after all." Lucius mused, doing his best to sound as casual as he could.

"Of course, sir, whatever you wish." Mina answered and intentionally pulled his hair a little harder than she should, with the brush. Lucius rose a brow at her as she did this. "Forgive me, sir, my hand slipped." She added and did her best to sound friendly, although there was obvious venom dripping from her voice.

Lucius grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding the brush and pulled her forward, so she fell into this arms. He then held her firmly in place and brought his face close to hers.

"I said. No. Acting. Out." He whispered, looking at her and her lips as if he wanted to devour them. Mina panted, feeling their bodies rub together and she wished she had the room to grind against him. She wiggled her behind a little and bit her lip. "You know you want to…" She said, also whispering, looking at him with taunting intensity. Lucius growled and attacked her neck with his mouth, licking the skin and pulling it with his teeth. Mina let out small groans of pleasure-pain.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. They both looked at each other in shock and Mina's breath hitched. Lucius let go of her and Mina quickly looked around the room. Before Lucius could comment, she dropped onto the floor and rolled underneath the bed. The door of the bedroom opened up and Lucius's face went stoic when Lucy entered.

"Good afternoon, sir, I wanted to let you know that I'm back. The new gardener said you were upstairs. Even though he didn't look too bright." She said, giggling a bit after the last part. Underneath the bed, Mina frowned in disapproval.

"I said I wanted an empty house today, Lucy." Lucius stated, obviously annoyed that she barged in without waiting for his confirmation.

"I'll go to my room, sir. I can't go home at the moment, I'm sorry." She replied shortly, turning on her heels and leaving the room. When she was gone, Mina rolled from underneath the bed and did her best to keep the coughing to a minimum. Lucius made some water appear in a glass and handed it to her, plucking some lint and wiping some dust off of her dress. Greedily Mina drank the water and also wiped her dress, shivering a bit.

"There are spiders under there.." She said after a few big gulps of fresh air and water.

Lucius shook his head. "You are going to be the death of me.." He murmured softly, rolling his eyes. Mina frowned and turned to leave but he grabbed her hand.

"When?" He asked her in a raspy voice, obviously laced with lust. "When what?" Mina asked him in an annoyed tone. She was getting rather tired that he was turning hot and cold like this.

"You said you'd turn seventeen soon. When?" Lucius explained and Mina hesitated for a moment. This was wrong. He was so much older than her, his beliefs were backwards and he surely looked his nose down at her. A recipe for disaster. She should nip this in the bud now, tell him that she wasn't interested. Clint coming back in her life was overwhelming enough already, she didn't need a forbidden relationship on top of that. What if Clint found out? What if somebody else found out?

But when Mina stared into those piercing eyes, filled with a mixture of dominance and uncertainty…she wasn't able to tell him to back off.

"7th of October." She answered, ignoring that voice telling her, yelling at her that this was a bad idea. Lucius's eyes wandered for a moment as he thought when that would be.

"Wednesday, three weeks for now." He mused, thinking this over. Wednesdays, the nights that she came for dinner and tutoring. A heavy silence fell between them. His eyes inspected her, glancing over the more curved parts of her body. Mina felt that she was getting aroused by him once more. Their kiss in the maze had awoken something inside of her that she never thought she'd feel. That Slytherin boy that plucked her cherry had been clumsy at best and Mina didn't know any better. She didn't know what Lucius wanted and could do to her body. But she knew that she wanted it. She wanted him.

For a moment, it seemed like Lucius was going to kiss her again, he rose from his seat and towered above her, bringing his mouth close to hers.

"You will receive further instructions then. Finish your duties and go home." He whispered, seeming more spiteful than she ever saw him. As if it was her fault that he wanted to bed her.

"Yes, sir." She replied, defeated. One word that wasn't dripping with venom or disdain, was that too much to ask for? Apparently it was.

Mina left the room and hurried downstairs, running into Lucy before she was able to go to the greenhouse, like she intended. She wanted to talk to Clint, but Lucy wasn't going to let her go by that easily.

"Where did you come from?" She asked the girl sharply, narrowing her eyes at her. "Upstairs, I was getting an elastic, for my hair, see?" Mina answered, pulling an elastic from her wrist and tying her hair up. It was a weak excuse, since she was supposed to wear the bonnet for her hair, but Lucy nodded, as if she was buying it. There was no proof she was in Malfoy's room, after all.

"Alright. I think the gardener could use some help. Go and assist him." She told Mina, as if she was the one calling the shots. Mina just chuckled and walked past her.

"What's so funny, mudblood?" Lucy hissed, angered that Mina seemed to be laughing at her. Somehow, it wasn't as hurtful this time. Mina looked back over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at the girl. It was petty, but she took pleasure in the fact that she had something that Lucy wanted. Lucius's attention.

"Nothing. Don't frown like that, hun, it gives you wrinkles." Mina replied with a grin and a wink.


	13. Chptr 13 - Laughter is the best medicine

That night, Mina returned to Hogwarts, exhausted and dissatisfied. Clint had refused to talk to her and their heated discussion had caused Lucius to come running from upstairs, demanding that they'd be quiet. The girl wished her brother would at least sit down and have a grown up discussion with her, but sadly that was too much to ask. So naturally, Mina sent a howler Clint's way, the moment she arrived back at school. There, that would teach him. But it was little comfort compared to the pain she was feeling.

It was hard for Mina to focus on her classes ,especially Potions, since she kept thinking about her encounter with Lucius. Of course, professor Snape could not let it slide.

"Miss Harper, do tell, did I tell you to add essence of toad to your concoction?" He asked snidely, when the liquid in her cauldron turned into a green gooey soup, instead of a warm, red fluid.

"I eh…no…" The girl stammered.

"Why are you not paying attention, miss Harper?" Again that terribly, spiteful tone. Carla giggled a bit. "It's a boy, sir!" Mina punched her friend's arm. "Shut up!"

"Do keep your romantic liaisons to a minimum, ladies, as it seems to affect your already insignificant talent for Potions." Their teacher drawled and his eyes lingered on Mina for a brief moment.

"Why did you do that?" Mina hissed at Carla, who rolled her eyes. "Oh please, like nobody is seeing it. You're obviously in love, Mina. I'm a little insulted that you're trying to keep it from me, actually."

Carla panicked a little when she saw Mina turn away from her with tears in her eyes. She had no idea how to fix Mina's unhappiness. She didn't know that Mina's tears were solely out of frustration. She couldn't deny it any longer, she was madly in love with Lucius, but didn't know how to act on it. Or even act on it at all. On top of that, it was Wednesday, so she was expected at the manor that very night.

"Hey uh…if I ask mr. Malfoy if it's okay, do you wanna come with me tonight? For tutoring?" Mina suddenly asked her friend. Because Carla was about to agree to anything just to make her friend stop crying, she nodded. "Yeah, sure. Send him an owl to ask though."

Luicus, though reluctant, gave his permission. He did not like it one bit, this other girl tagging along. Did Mina not want to be alone with him? Was she bringing her friend to gawk at him, show him off? Somehow that made him feel a little proud, but without knowing the real reason, it would continue to gnaw at his mind. He tried to put it out of his mind and called Lucy into his study, where he was working.

"Yes, sir, how may I help you?" The girl asked in her sweetest voice, clasping her hands behind her back as she swayed her hips a little.

"You may instruct the staff to cook for one extra tonight, it seems miss Harper is bringing a guest." He said shortly, already uncomfortable by how the girl was acting around him. Why did she insist on acting like a little girl whenever he asked her a question?

"Oh, I see." Lucy answered, disappointed that he wanted her for a work-related manner. "That's quite rude, isn't it?"

Lucius rose a brow. "That was all, Lucy." He went back to work without another word, so he didn't see the look of utter frustration on Lucy's face as she stormed off towards the kitchen.

"Madam Collins, one extra guest for dinner tonight." She told the elder woman, who was already working on the dinner for that evening. She clucked her tongue at the announcement. "Another guest, like I don't have anything else to do all day."

"I know, it's rude. But she gets away with everything, doesn't she?" Lucy replied, almost hateful. "I can serve tonight, if that makes things easier for you?"

"Oh that would help a lot, my dear, thank you." Madam Collins gladly accepted the offer, unaware of the heinous plans forming in the girls' mind.

"Great, that's a deal. I do need to step out for a moment, I have an appointment tonight, I wanna go there in person to explain why I'll be late."

"Very well, deary, but make it quick, yes?"

Lucy heard the annoyance in the voice of the elder lady, but ignored it, just giving her a smile and a nod. She went outside and got her broom, quickly taking off towards her mistress. This required her advice. She set up the perfect trap, offering to serve dinner tonight to 'help' madam Collins with her duties. Now to ask what she would add to Mina's food to eliminate her. Surely Narcissa would want the girl out of Lucius's life as well.

"Afternoon, mistress." Lucy said in a hoarse voice, when Narcissa opened the door for her. "Lucy, what a surprise." Narcissa replied, eyeing the girl up and down. "What's the happy occasion?" Lucy smirked as she entered, giving her mistress a fiery kiss. "The girl. She is coming to dinner tonight. And I'm serving."

Unaware of these evil plans being plotted, Mina and Carla were getting ready for that evening. "Why am I coming again? I've never taken any tutor lessons in my life!" Carla complained, as she tried to worm herself into one of her iconic yellow dresses. Mina looked at her friend and shook her head with a chuckle.

"I don't get why you don't dress in blue, we're Ravenclaws, not Hufflepuffs." She pointed out. "And you're coming so it'll be less awkward for me. Besides, you're not very good at Potions either, we can both get better from it. Mr. Malfoy was very good at Potions while he was schooled at Hogwarts."

"Okay, so now I don't have talent AND no fashion sense, got it." Carla answered, pretending to be offended. Mina laughed and threw a pillow at her friend, starting a pillow fight within seconds. When it was time to leave, Mina quickly zipped up her green dress and grabbed her purse, meeting Carla in the common room, by the fireplace.

"We're Ravenclaw's, not Slytherin's." Carla dryly commented, ignoring the annoyed look her friend shot her. They took out some floo powder and stated their destination out loud. Emerging from the fireplace in the hall of the manor, the girls heard Lucius argue with someone.

"You are out of your mind thinking that! How could I ever sink so low?!" Lucius growled, then silent when the other voice spoke. This voice was speaking so softly that the girls weren't able to understand what he or she was saying.

"I told you to drop that! I can muster up some stories about you as well, Severus!"

"Snape is here…" Mina whispered to Carla, who nodded profusely. "Should we let them know we're here?" Carla whispered back.

But Mina didn't have time to answer, the two men came marching down from upstairs, still bickering on the staircase. When they saw the two young students, they both stopped.

"Good evening, sir, professor…I…eh…" Mina babbled, while Lucius gave them a weak smile. "Good evening miss Harper. And guest." He came over to them and eyed Carla up and down.

"Lucius Malfoy." He finally stated, extending his hand. "Carla Candlewick, sir, nice to meet you." She answered as she shook his hand. "Ah yes, from the Berkshire Candlewicks, if I'm not mistaken? Good pureblood family." Lucius said, approvingly. Carla narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not very concerned with blood status, sir. But yes, that's indeed my family."

The awkward tone was set for that evening, Mina thought, when she saw Lucius's jaw tense at that statement. It was true, Carla had never been concerned with blood status or pureblood wizards. Mina and her had been friends since their first meeting. Their statuses hadn't even come up, besides the times when Carla asked Mina to explain her strange muggle customs.

"I am joining you tonight, for dinner and your lesson. It'll be good to see exactly where you both lack in skill and talent." Severus drawled, having enough of being let out of the conversation. Lucius gave him a look, but did not comment. The girls exchanged looks as well and Severus would surely have been shrieking in pain, if looks could kill.

"Well, let's not dillydally, to the dining room." Luicus said in a short tone and went ahead and led the way. The others followed, but no words were spoken. The girls had no idea what to say to their teacher outside of class.

"Is that your 'outside' robe?" Carla asked, pointing at Severus's clothes, but before he was able to answer Mina started snickering, quickly hiding her face behind her hand. She was too embarrassed to look at Carla, Snape or Lucius for that matter.

"Do not worry yourself over my wardrobe, miss Candlewick. I imagine you are far too concerned with your own, as it is." Their potions master muttered, giving them both a death stare. Mina wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a small smile around Lucius's lips as well, even though he did his best to hide it.

"Well, you look very handsome." Carla responded and winked at him, obviously not at all worried with the insult he just hurled her way. The compliment caught Snape off guard and he stared at Carla for a few moments. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lucius took charge of the situation.

"Drinks all around, I assume? Severus? I think you'll enjoy this scotch, a friend of mine brew it himself."

"Thank you, Lucius, that will be lovely." Severus answered shortly, not knowing how to behave at the moment. When Lucius poured three more glasses, however, he rose a brow.

"How about a nice soda pop for these young ladies instead?" He asked his friend in a bit of a tone. Lucius looked like he got caught red-handed committing a murder.

"I..well…they are very adult young ladies and…I…." He murmured, but Carla took two glasses and gave Mina one of them. "Two adult young ladies!" She stated and clinked her glass with Mina's before taking a gulp. She coughed a few times, but then gave Lucius a huge smile. "Very good scotch, sir, my father would be proud."

"Your father is a scotch lover?" Lucius asked her, his interest was peaking. Mina quietly sipped from her glass and coughed a few times as well, before her second sip. She liked that Lucius and Carla were chatting, that gave her the chance to be quiet and think for a second. She looked at Snape, who was glaring at all of them from behind his glass. Why was he even here? The girl couldn't think of a single reason.

"Ah Lucy, good that I'm spotting you, another guest for dinner, I'm afraid. Could you inform madam Collins? And set an extra plate, please." Lucius asked the girl when she tried to sneak past unnoticed. Her face was all scrunched up in discontent, but at least she tried to sound pleasant. "Of course, sir, right away."

She went on her way to the kitchen and loaded a little cart with plates, cutlery and wineglasses. In the dining room, she set the table for four people. Her eyes darted from side to side. Would she add the potion now? No, that'd be suspicious. Plus she wouldn't know where that little trollop would sit. Next to Malfoy no doubt, Lucy thought with a scoff. Once the table was set, she went to the kitchen and got the soup. Her hand went into her apron for a second, clutching at the little bottle in there. No, not in the soup itself, then they all would drink it. How was she going to do this? If she had to wait until they were all seated, then they might catch her with that bottle. But there was no other way, was there?

Lucius announced that dinner would commence so he took the group to the dining room. The girls felt a little tipsy, drinking all that scotch before they had their evening meal. They all sat down and Lucy served the soup. Then she poured them all some wine and excused herself. As suspected, none of them paid attention to them while she was serving, she thought with a smirk around her lips.

Mina was in the middle of explaining 'television' to the others, specifically the concept of 'game shows', when she suddenly dropped her wine glass and keeled over laughing. Carla's eyes grew wide as she stared at her friend. "Eh…Mina? What's funny?" But Mina wasn't able to answer, she kept laughing and laughing. At first Lucius chuckled a bit as well, thinking Mina would surely soon explain herself. But then Severus stood up with a distraught look on his face.

"Lucius, she's been poisoned. Get your supplies, quickly." He said firmly, taking Mina out of her chair and placing her on the other end of the table that had no plates or cutlery on it. Now Mina was crying and laughing at the same time, feeling panicked herself. Lucius dashed to his supply closet and took as much as he could find. When he returned, he placed everything within Severus's reach. "Can you save her, will she be alright?!" He asked his friend in a flustered manner.

"Calm yourself, you're no use like this." Severus answered shortly, while sorting through the supplies. "Ah, here we have it. Glumbumble treacle. Drink this, miss Harper." He told the girl, after putting some of the substance in her wine. Greedily Mina drank it and instantly stopped laughing. She seemed rather sullen now. Carla grabbed her hand. "Are you okay, Mina?" The girl nodded. "I-I think so…what happened?"

Lucius helped her off the table, as delicately as he could. "Severus thinks you were poisoned, my dear. Are you sure you are alright?" Again Mina nodded.

"I do not think so, I know so." Severus replied snarky. "If I were you, Lucius, I'd check my staff. If miss Harper would have been allergic to Alihotsy, she could have died."

"Alihotsy Draught? Are you sure?" Lucius asked him, still furrowing his brow. "Quite sure." Severus drawled, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

The group finished their dinner, after Lucius and Severus checked the food for other spells or potions, but it was a painful situation all around. Someone in Lucius's house played a very distasteful prank on them, or had bad intention and that didn't sit well with lord of the house or his guests. After dinner, the girls were sent home. After all, they'd never forgot the antidote for Alihotsy Draught again, as Carla pointed out. Lucius saw them off in the fireplace and then returned to Severus.

"Lucius, you need to act." Severus stated, nursing a brandy by the fireplace in Lucius's study.

"I know, but I just can't imagine who would have done such a thing…I trust my staff.." He started to reply, but Severus cut him off.

"Not about the staff, about the girl. It was more than obvious tonight. You are in love with her." He spat, emphasizing the world 'love' with utter disgust.

"I am not in love with her!" Lucius growling but Snape scoffed. "Oh please! The antidote to Alihotsy Draught? That's first grade teaching to skilled potion makers like us! You were worried! And not as an employer! Do not try to deny it any longer, Lucius. You can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to me."

Lucius attempted to interrupt him, but Snape gave him no chance.

"I suggest you get your house in order, Lucius, before far more important people than me found out about this little scandal of yours. Don't lose it all over some girl."

Again he spoke with disdain and Lucius averted his gaze, speaking softly.

"Severus…what have I left to lose?"

Severus Snape had no answer for him.


	14. Chapter 14 - Sibling rivalry

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Clint frowned when Mina was so short with him. "Come on, Minnie, don't be like that."

"Be like what? Do you know what you put me through? What you put mom through? And you refuse to talk to either of us."

The young man swallowed hard and averted his gaze. "I know. I'll come. I promise." Now Mina perked up. "Great, I'll go see mister Malfoy for dinner and then let you know when we'll leave."

"But wait, what…Mina!" Clint objected, not expecting that the girl would make him go right that same day. But Mina ignored him and went to find Lucius.

When she entered the dining hall, she found the staff standing at the table, starting to sing 'happy birthday' for her. Mina chuckled shyly and blushed. Especially when Lucius also joined them, holding a small cupcake with a lit candle in it.

"Oh my, this is so nice of you." She murmured, afraid to look at anyone. She coyly blew out the little candle and the staff clapped. Then they took turns in congratulating her properly. Once the formalities were out of the way, they excused themselves and wished them a good dinner.

"So, miss Harper, do you have any plans for this evening?" Lucius asked her with a smile, as they sat down.

"Well, sir, I was hoping that we could maybe postpone our lesson so that I could visit my mother with Clint. I will drop him back off at the manor before I go out."

"No problem, of course, You are going out?" Lucius replied, pouring them both some wine. Mina nodded. She was actually hoping that he'd say he would forbid it, because he wanted her at the manor. She was of legal age now, after all.

"Yes, sir, dancing. It's been so long. But if you'd like me here instead…" She reluctantly offered but Lucius tilted his head. "Here? What for?"

Mina was silent and focussed on her food instead. So it had all been for nothing. The waiting, the pining. She was hurt.

Lucius cleared his throat and reached on the chair next to him. He retrieved an elongated black velvet box from it and placed it on the table, sliding it Mina's direction. "A gift, miss Harper. And many happy returns, of course."

Mina was speechless and opened the box slowly. She hadn't expected a gift. When she saw the content of the box, her jaw dropped in amazement. It was a silver necklace, with two snakes that were intertwined. The eyes were set with little lilac stones.

"It's absolutely beautiful, sir. Thank you." Mina said softly as tears came to her eyes. Lucius chuckled. "Oh come now, it's just a trinket."

Mina started to cry.

"I've never owned anything so beautiful in my life." The girl said between sobs.

Lucius got up from his seat and gave her his handkerchief, which had the Malfoy crest on it. Mina wiped away her tears as the tall wizard took the necklace from the box and hung it around her neck delicately. He swallowed hard when he did so, feeling that he was nearly moved to tears himself. This poor girl, that had never owned a nice piece of jewellery, while he was so wealthy that he called it a 'trinket'. It was a clear metaphor for the difference in their lives. What she treated with dignity and respect, he sneered at, or mocked. And somehow, she moved herself right into his heart. It was an utter tragedy, that this could never be.

"Thank you." Mina said softly, handing the handkerchief back to him when she was done crying, after Lucius sat back down.

"You may keep it. I have more." Lucius answered shortly and did not look at her anymore. He began to eat in silence and Mina followed his example, feeling empty and filled with questions all at the same time.

"Would you like to come with me to see my mum?" Mina suddenly asked, perked up a little. Lucius's facial expression almost made her laugh, but she contained herself. "Just for a bit? I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

Sarah probably wouldn't want to meet Lucius at all, but Mina desperately wanted to keep him close to her today. She felt that if today ended, that her chance of him confessing his love to her would end as well. So she had to find a way to keep him near. Even if it would mean pining for him from afar.

Again Lucius found it too difficult to say no. "Very well, if that is what you wish. Will mister Barton join us?" He asked in his usual cool and collected manner.

"Yes, he is. At least he said so. He better." Mina replied, going through a rollercoaster of emotions in just a few sentences.

"CLINT! GET OVER HERE!" Mina shouted into the greenhouse, once dinner was over and Lucius waited by the fireplace. As he listened to her, he closed his eyes and shook his head. That girl. One moment she was the ultimate lady, delicate, polite and soft-spoken. Then next she resembled a shouting fishwife, nagging those around her to do her bidding.

"I'm not coming!"

"Get over here! You are fucking coming!"

"What have I gotten myself into…" Lucius murmured as he massaged his temples. When the two finally came to the fireplace, a little ruffled as if there had been a struggle, Lucius picked up his walking stick and rose a brow.

"I do not like being kept waiting."

Both of them mumbled an apology and Lucius sighed. "Let's just go, I am sure your mother will be thrilled to see you both."

The sarcasm that dripped from Lucius's voice was not lost on Mina and Clint and they exchanged looks. Some would even think a small revenge plot was in the making.

After making a stop at mrs. Morris, the gang travelled on to Sarah's cottage. When Sarah opened the door, she smiled at Mina, wanting to congratulate her daughter. But then she saw Clint and her jaw dropped as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Clint!"

"Hey mom..I eh…" Clint started, but didn't get to finish his thought. Sarah lunged forward and grabbed the young man into a tight hug, crying on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." Clint whispered softly, patting her on her back.

Lucius was touched by the whole thing, he could imagine he'd react the same way if he ever saw Draco again. He quickly stepped forward and gently led Sarah inside, setting her down on the couch.

"Here you are, take a seat, ma'am. May I take the liberty of making you some tea, to calm down?" He asked her delicately. Sarah nodded, still a bit dumbfounded. Mina stared at him as he made his way into the small kitchen. "Yes, I know how, miss Harper…" He remarked and Mina averted her gaze, while blushing a bit.

"Mina dear, happy birthday, I-I…" Sarah stammered and got up to give her daughter three kisses. "Thanks, mom." She replied with a smile, happy that it all had gone well. Mina and Clint sat down with Sarah and soon Lucius joined them. He had made them a pot of tea and even brought a tray with cups and saucers.

"Here you all are, you have a lovely kitchen, ma'am." He told Sarah kindly, even though Mina could see that he was just being polite.

"I'm so sorry, we haven't even been properly introduced, Sarah Harper, nice to meet you." Sarah said as she shook Lucius's hand. "Lucius Malfoy. Nice to make your acquaintance, miss Harper." Lucius replied. He poured them all some tea and handed out the cups. Mina tilted her head when she saw that he didn't use the saucers that he had put on the tray. But before she was able to ask, Lucius took out his wand and murmured a spell, tapping a spot on the table. A large golden plate appeared, with a large birthday cake in the middle.

"There, for the birthday girl." He said with a smile. Sarah picked up the knife that appeared next to the cake and cut the cake. "Now that's a good trick, thank you, mister Malfoy." She said warmly. Lucius smiled weakly. "Please, call me Lucius. It's no trouble at all, it's a delight to have Mina work for me. Clint as well, for that matter."

It was true, even though the brother and sister provided him with some headaches, it was nice that the house was coming back to life again. It made missing Narcissa and Draco a bit more bearable, although the loss still felt palpable.

"So, how's dad?" Mina asked Clint all of a sudden, to make up for the awkward silence that had fallen. Clint's face fell and Mina knew she made a mistake. "He's eh….well….I don't know." The young man answered, looking down. "It's not your fault, Clint, he has his own struggles, it was just difficult for him to…" Sarah started, trying to make Clint feel better. But she had no idea what to say to make it better.

"I think your father is making a big mistake." Lucius said, not looking at anyone. "I'd never turn Draco away. If he'd wanted to see me, that is. My son is angry with me and left home with my ex-wife. I don't know where he is." He explained to Clint and Sarah, speaking softly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir." Clint said with a frown. Lucius just shrugged. He feared that if he spoke, he'd cry and he didn't want to do that in front of these people. "You're always welcome to join Clint and Mina, Lucius." Sarah told him and Lucius smiled. "That's very kind, thank you."

Sarah could sense the pain in the room and frowned, wanting to cure it. Then she sat up. "What do you say we go to the pub? Have a beer, have a song?" Mina and Clint agreed eagerly, but Lucius seemed reluctant. "I eh…should go back to the manor…"

"Oh come on, we'd love it if you'd come. Please?" Mina pleaded with him and he glanced at her, then at the others awkwardly. "Your daughter has a strange gift. It makes it impossible to say no to her." He told Sarah, with a wink. Sarah chuckled. "She got that from her mom."

After they finished their cake, Mina quickly went into the kitchen to rinse the plates and forks. Sarah followed her, while Clint explained to Lucius what the TV was for. "Mina? Thank you, for bringing Clint. I hope we didn't stray from your day too much." Mina smiled at her mom. "Of course not, I'm just glad he's here." Sarah smiled but then turned serious as she stepped closer to her daughter, so Clint and Lucius wouldn't hear them. "Mina…that man…was he the one that hurt you so much? Remember what you told me about him?"

Mina frowned but then nodded. "Yes, that's him. But I do think he's different now, mom, he's very kind to me. And I…" Sarah smiled weakly.

"And you love him."

Mina tried to speak, to object, but she wasn't able to for a few moments. "H-How do you know?" She asked her mother, feeling caught. Sarah smiled.

"I know you, darling. I see how you look at him. And I see how he looks at you. I love you and I want you to be happy, but just think this through. I don't want you to get hurt. He's….older."

Mina nodded, but didn't know what to say. There was something her mother wasn't saying. She said he was older. What she meant to say was that he was older and bigoted. How would it ever work? But she didn't want to think about it, her heartache for Lucius was great enough without this thought.

"All set?" Clint asked from the living room and Mina could hear that Lucius was getting on his nerves. "Yeah, be right there!" She yelled back and finished rinsing the plates before joining the others.

"So, back to mrs. Morris?" Lucius asked, but Sarah shook her head.

"It's close by, we can walk."

Lucius needed a few moments to process this. "W-Walk?"

Mina grinned. "Yeah, your majesty, we walk."

With a huff, Lucius grabbed his cane and made a cloak appear on his body with his wand. Mina quickly grabbed a jacket of Sarah from the hallway closet and Clint was far too manly to wear a coat, despite his mother's protests. They walked for a little while and then arrived at a small pub, called "The drunk sheep." Lucius kind of sneered when he saw how simple it was, once inside, but Mina decided to ignore that and pretend they were all having a good time.

"Sarah! Mina!" The bartender called out. "Tim, how nice to see you again." Mina replied and went to give him three kisses. "Happy birthday, girlie, 17 eh? That's a big one!" He replied and Mina blushed shyly. "Thanks, Tim."

Sarah went to greet him as well, but Tim stopped in his tracks when he saw Clint. "Little Clint? Is that you?" Clint nodded a bit reluctant, afraid that Tim would start asking a lot of difficult questions, but instead the man slapped him on his back hard, making him cough.

"Good to see ya, laddie! A round of drinks on me! For the lass's birthday! And who's this fine gentleman right here? Nice to meet ya, lad, I'm Tim O'Sullivan, proprietor of this dump!"

Tim extended his hand to Lucius and at first he wanted to ignore it. But a warning look of Mina caused him to accept the handshake, with a weak smile. "Lucius Malfoy. Charmed, I'm sure."

After shaking Lucius's hand, Tim poured them all a beer, as if meeting Lucius hadn't been all that special. Mina saw the discontent on Lucius's face and remembered the talk with her mother.

He didn't fit into her world.


	15. Chapter 15 - Cherry

One beer turned to many and Sarah, Clint and Mina sang 'Piano man' after many, many requests of Tim and the other customers. They knew that Sarah was a regular performer there and thought it would be special if all three of them would sing. Lucius was less enthusiastic than the others, but still flashed a smile here and there. Clint fell asleep on Sarah's couch, after saying he was just going to rest his eyes for a moment. Sarah got him a blanket and assured Lucius she'd wake him in time for work, the next morning.

Lucius and Mina said their goodbyes and Mina felt all lightheaded and tingly, from drinking too much. She was giggly and far less timid this way, but Lucius wasn't sure how he felt about it. He wasn't sure how he felt about the whole evening. It had been nice to be out of the house, for something as frivolous as cake and beer. No difficult meetings, no complicated negotiations. Just good old fashioned fun.

"Wait…we can't go to mrs. Morris now, she's probably sleeping already." Mina told Lucius, giggling a bit at this idea.

"Hm, we'll apparate, then we don't have to disturb her. Hold onto my arm." Lucius decided and held out his arm for her. Mina grabbed, smiling up at him, a little seductive.

Lucius cleared his throat and thought of the manor. But a thought of the garden slipped in, when he thought of the fact that Clint wasn't here as a means to keep them apart. So instead of apparating in front of his door, they appeared in the garden. Well, Lucius appeared in the garden, Mina fell into the pond, since she hadn't landed on solid ground.

"Mina!" Lucius cried out and quickly rushed in, to grab her and bring her inside. Mina shivered and clung to him, a little in shock of what happened.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't focused." Lucius explained himself and rushed to the nearest bathroom. "It's ok, I'll be alright." Mina murmured back, still shaking.

"Of course you will, my little duckling." He said kindly, as he looked down at her. Mina blushed at the sweet nickname.

In the bathroom, he placed her on the ground, took off his robe and used his wand to fill the bath with warm water. "Will you be alright? Then I'll give you some privacy." He said, ready to leave the bathroom again. But Mina pouted. "You need to warm up too. The bath is big enough for the both of us." To emphasize she didn't want him to leave, she began to peel off her clothing, while not breaking eye-contact. Lucius swallowed hard. What was he to do here? He wanted her. That was unquestionable. But she had been drinking…he had been drinking…she was seventeen…which meant she was of age. There was nothing stopping him, if you thought about it rationally….but we all know what Lucius was thinking with in this moment.

He swallowed hard and started to take off his own clothes, until neither of them had a stitch left on their bodies. Then he picked her up and stepped into the bath, lowering them into the water as carefully as he could. Mina shivered, but no longer because she was cold. The warm water engulfed her and warmed her cold muscles and limbs, setting her body on fire. Lucius sighed when he felt his manhood swell with desire.

He pulled Mina close and cupped her face with his hand. "Mina.." He whispered softly, finally feeling freed of mourning for his past life. Narcissa, not the loss of Draco. That would never leave him.

"Lucius, I…" Mina started, but Lucius kissed her. Finally. In the kiss, Mina lost what she wanted to say, she lost what she wanted to think and felt nothing but desire. The tenderness brought tears to her eyes, while the lust caused her to want him even more. This wasn't merely lust, it was much more than that.

Their kiss deepened and their body found each other. Lucius traced her neck with his finger, going down to her collarbone, before finding her breast. His thumb teased her nipple, causing the girl to gasp at the pleasure it caused. Then he firmly kneaded her breast, while slipping his tongue in her mouth. Eagerly Mina accepted as her hand traced over his chest and his lower abdomen, before finding his heated flesh. Lucius found her womanhood and teased the bundle of nerves between her folds. Again the girl gasped and moaned in pleasure. He turned them so that he was hovering above her in the water, then he pushed her legs up, so that she exposed herself to him.

"Are you sure, duckling?" He asked her seductively, teasing her folds with his fingertips. "Yes, please." Mina panted, trying to roll her hips to receive more pleasure from him. Lucius positioned himself, aligning his cock with her opening, before gently sliding in. The girl cried out in pleasure pain and wrapped her arms and legs around the man, the feeling enveloping her completely. Once Lucius had completely sank into her heat, he lost himself in her, throwing away the last piece of doubt. He gave her time to adjust to his size, but his thrusts grew faster and more erratic by the second. Neither of them noticed the bath water that was pouring out of the bath because of their movements, all they knew was pleasure.

"You feel so good, I want you all night." Lucius panted, biting the skin of Mina's neck as he picked up the pace of his thrusts even more.

"I'm yours forever!" Mina groaned and soon cried out in pleasure over and over as Lucius fucked her right through an extremely intense orgasm. Her folds clenched around his punishing cock and soon sent him into an orgasm as well, his thrusts slowly faltering, before he collapsed onto her.

They laid there, panting, coming down from their incredible high, when Lucius suddenly came back to his senses. He frowned and shook his head. Mina saw it happened and cupped his face with her hands.

"Lucius…don't. I know what you're thinking. But we can do this, if we want to. Who will stop us? They'll have their opinions, they're judgement, but do we truly care? If we really love each other then…"

When she said this, tears came to Lucius's eyes. This simple and plain muggle girl, despite his flaws and shortcomings, loved him. Not for what he could do for her, not for what he was…but completely stripped of everything, for him. Something Narcissa probably never did, he thought. Oh sure, they had they're fun days and intimate ones, they had Draco together after all. But once Draco had been there, touching, kissing and even making love had been rather scarce.

"We can make it work." He said sweetly, smiling at her. Mina smiled back, feeling perfectly happy in this moment. Finally, finally their love story could start. She felt the happy feeling spread through her body and noticed that she wanted him all over again. Judging by how Lucius was staring at her, he desperately wanted the same.

"Shall we go to my chambers, duckling?" He asked her, kissing down her neck. Mina tried to answer but Lucius caught a nipple in his mouth and her answer turned into a strangled moan. "I'll take that as a yes." He said with a smirk and got up, only now seeing the mess they made of the bathroom.

Mina's jaw dropped when she saw the mess. "Oh no, look at this!" She exclaimed and got up, quickly wiping away all the water that had fallen out.

"Just leave it for the help, duckling, it'll be okay." Lucius tried to persuade her to come with him, but she gave him a look.

"I'm the help, Lucius. And I rather not do this in the morning."

Lucius cleared his throat awkwardly and dried off, slipping into a robe before leaving the bathroom. Once Mina was done, she followed him. The girl had no robe in the bathroom, so she slipped out of the bathroom naked, goose bumps spreading over her body, making her skin tingle. She found Lucius's room and went in. The man stood at a small table in the corner of the room, pouring himself some scotch. He watched her as she entered, naked and in need. He narrowed his as his eyes scanned her form.

"On the bed, on your back." He instructed her and Mina bit her lip as she did what was asked. Lucius walked over to the bed, his glass in one hand and his cane in the other.

"What happened back there was good. But it was amateurs work. I like to take my time. I like to make sure you lose your mind entirely, before I grant you any sort of peak." He stated as he traced her skin with his cane, making the head of the snake tease her nipples, before letting it disappear between her folds. Soon Mina was squirming for him, her body spasmed, trapped in a bubble of pleasure. With a satisfied smirk, Lucius pulled it back before she was able to orgasm, ignoring her frustrated whines. He set his cane aside and took a sip from the liquid in his glass, before catching a nipple in his mouth. The alcohol burned on her skin and mixed in with the pleasure, it caused a whole new sensation for the girl. Again she squirmed and whined, before Lucius decided to give the other nipple the same treatment.

"Please, please, I need more!" Mina pleaded and he kissed down her stomach, before engulfing her womanhood in his mouth, delving his tongue between her folds. The exquisite pleasure drove the girl insane, she pleaded, begged and cried of pleasure, all while Lucius kept her on the very edge of her peak.

With a smug look, he pulled back once he thought she begged enough. "Are you sure you can continue, duckling? Perhaps we should stop, if it's too much for you…" He stated, feigning worry. But Mina got a determined look on her face and quickly crawled towards him, engulfing his manhood in her mouth, after opening his robe. Now it was Lucius's turn to gasp in shock and pleasure. Never had he known the pleasure of this act, not even before Narcissa.

Soon Mina had Lucius moaning and gripping at her hair, feeling almost as desperate as she was, to peak. Mina felt smug, just because he was older than her, didn't mean that she couldn't make him squirm for her.

"Stop, stop, I don't want to peak yet.." Lucius panted and Mina pulled back, staring up at him innocently.

"Are you sure?" She asked, pretending like he did earlier. He looked down at her and glowered, throwing her back on the bed before crawling over her and entering her swiftly.

"I'm a dangerous man to provoke, duckling." He growled as he nipped at the skin in her neck, thrusting harder and harder. His hands found her wrists and he pinned them above her head, down on the bed, as Mina moaned for him.

Just before Mina was about to peak around him, he pulled back and sat on his legs, looking at her with a smirk. Mina didn't hesitate and quickly sat up, straddling his lap before lowering herself onto his cock.

Faster and faster, the girl rolled her hips and drove them both to madness. Now Lucius was very close to an orgasm, but Mina stopped moving and allowed herself to fall back on the bed. Lucius grunted in frustration and flipped her over, pulling her behind upwards, so she was sitting on her knees.

Without warning, he filled her again and grabbed her hips, his thrusts growing erratic soon. His hand reached around her and found the bundle of nerves between her folds. As he fucked her, his fingertips danced over it over and over, slowly driving her wild.

Very soon, Mina cried out as she finally reached her peak, clenching around his cock painfully hard. While she fell into the abyss of pleasure, she dragged Lucius down with her. He released a few strangled moans as he spilled himself inside of her for the second time that day.

The both of them collapsed onto the bed, Lucius on top of Mina as he was still inside of her. He lazily sucked a spot on her neck as she tried to come down from her high.

"I'm going to need more if you keep doing that." The girl warned him, her voice hoarse. Lucius let out a lustful grunt.

"So very needy, duckling, before you know it I will need to restrain you." Lucius whispered in her ear before tugging on her earlobe with his teeth.

"Is that what you want, me at your mercy like that?" Mina asked and rolled her hips, to cause friction and pleasure between them. Lucius felt what she was doing and both loved and hated her for it.

"Every damn day if it were up to me." He answered and turned them on their side, so he could tease her nipples. Mina shuddered at the feeling and rolled her hips in a faster pace. She felt him grow again and felt smug about it. Soon Lucius was thrusting deep inside of her once again.

This time, it was slow, tender and painfully pleasurable.

In the morning, Lucius woke and found Mina sleeping next to him. He shook his head when he thought back to their previous night together. This was a seventeen year old girl. He gave her alcohol and then took advantage of her, like some sort of deviant. No, that wasn't true….he never gave her alcohol. At least not last night. Her mother had been there and she had approved of Mina drinking. The next question made him cringe. Would she have approved if he asked her if he could defile her second born later that night? He'd rather not think of that. And the staff..they probably heard the girl last night, screaming in pleasure. What was he to say if they asked questions? Mina mumbled something in her sleep, causing Lucius to melt a bit. Then he got defiant. What did it matter what the staff thought? This was his house and he could do as he damn well pleased.

Lucius got out of bed and wrote a quick note to Dumbledore, informing him that Mina was ill and would not attend class until after the weekend. There, that was settled. The girl could miss two days of school. He would take her shopping after breakfast, so they could have a nice long weekend together.

When Dumbledore received the note he sighed and shook his head.

"Oh no. I was afraid of this."


	16. Chapter 16 - What will they say?

After a while, Mina woke up and sat up in bed. She blinked a few times, surprised at where she was. Then she saw Lucius and she smiled shyly. He smiled back, looking a little smug even.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, duckling."

Mina blushed even more when he said the little nickname he gave her. She was glad that he still used it in daylight. Not just when it was night and they were drunk. Wait…why were they drunk again? Oh right, her birthday. Then she gasped.

"Oh no, what time is it?" She asked, panic in her eyes. "Relax, I sent an own to Hogwarts, saying you're ill. You might as well stay here through the weekend, or you'll be going back and forth." Lucius explained and Mina seemed a little uneasy at this thought.

"But I'm not ill." She weakly protested. Lucius chuckled. "A true Ravenclaw. Don't worry, my dear. I thought we could go shopping together, or do something fun?"

"Are you sure you have time for that?" Mina asked. When he just nodded with a wink, she smiled. "I'd love that, thanks."

There was a knock on the door and there appeared panic on both their faces. Mina quickly ran into the large closet and closed the door. Lucius smiled. Smart girl.

"Come in." He called out and Lucy appeared with his breakfast tray. "Good morning, sir. How did you sleep?" She asked and Lucius could hear in her voice that she was trying to question him. Of course she heard the ruckus last night. Her eyes darted from side to side as she scanned the room for clues. Lucius pretended not to see.

"On the desk, thank you, Lucy. Yes, I slept very well. Even though it got late last night. I hope we didn't wake you."

Now Lucy blushed, as she put the tray on the desk. She hadn't expected him to be so blunt and open about having a visitor. "Not at all, sir," she lied. "But if I had known I could have made breakfast for two."

"No need, ladies of the night don't stay for breakfast. Now, your chores for today,"

Mina was snickering to herself, trying to keep quiet. That had been a sneaky way to make Lucy think that he had ordered a hooker for the night. Then her face fell. Instead of coming clean, he pretended she'd been a hooker. Was that how he really felt about her? Or was this just a decoy? Why would he want to keep it hidden anyway? Nonsense, of course he wanted to keep it hidden. The staff would have a field day if they'd know. The teachers at Hogwarts even more. Oh no…what would Clint say? Did he already know? Or was he really too dense to notice? It wouldn't be the first time something went right past him.

"You can come out now." Lucius called out after a few more minutes. Mina quickly opened the closet back up and stumbled out.

She pulled a chair from a corner and sat at the desk with Lucius, while they eat breakfast together in silence. Then Mina cleared her throat.

"Sir?"

Lucius gave her a look. "I think you can say my name when we're alone. Mina." He said warmly. Mina smiled and nodded.

"It's still a little strange. Well, I was thinking, if you want me to stay today and tomorrow, I can't pretend to come early on Friday. I'm going to run into the help. What do I tell them? Lucy is gonna ask questions for sure."

Lucius wiped his mouth with the napkin that had been on his plate, Mina noticed the Malfoy crest on it.

"That's a good point, duckling. What if you go on ahead to Diagon Ally and I'll meet you there? At Flourish & Blotts."

Again Mina frowned. "But what if we run into someone from the school? A teacher or a parent? Then we'll both get in trouble."

"If they ask questions, then I'll make sure that you'll be covered, we'll think of something. We can always say that we went to get you some medicine or something."

Finally, Mina was relieved and she nodded. "Good, good. I'll get dressed. Oh no…I left my clothes in the bathroom…if Lucy saw them…" Again her face fell with worry again and Lucius sighed, shaking his head.

"Stop worrying. Put on my robe and try to get your clothes without being seen, okay? Then use the fireplace in my study to go on ahead, I will do the same in fifteen minutes."

"Make it thirty minutes, I need to freshen up a bit." Mina compromised, quickly getting out of bed and putting on Lucius's robe, as he instructed. She saw the hallway was empty and quickly rushed to the bathroom that she and Lucius used the evening before. She hung the robe on the little hook on the door, before putting her clothes back on. Then she refreshed herself and finished her morning routine.

Sadly, she hadn't seen Lucy, hiding in Mina's room. She cracked the door open a smidge and was peeking through, watching Mina. She slept here. Not in her own bed. And she wore Malfoy's robe while slipping out of his room. Lucy felt her blood boil as she glowered at the unknowing Mina.

As instructed, Mina hurried towards Lucius's study, still not noticing Lucy. She used floo powder to send herself to Diagon Ally and waited for Lucius. She used a spell on herself, to make her look ill. That way, she would always have proof if they ran into someone familiar. A few minutes later, Lucius appeared in front of Flourish & Blotts as they agreed on and they reunited.

"Are you alright, what happened?" Lucius asked worried, when he saw the state Mina was in. The girl flashed a cheeky grin. "I did a spell, to make me look sick. Just in case."

Lucius chuckled. "Hm, I see, I wonder if the sorting hat is maybe losing its touch. That sounds like a true Slytherin right there."

Despite Mina's many protests, Lucius insisted that she'd buy some new clothes. He was wealthy enough, after all. And with no son or wife to splurge on, his money wasn't really going anywhere. He took Mina to a rather posh store, that hadn't been there for very long yet.

"Come now, duckling, let me do this for me. Don't take this the wrong way, but what you have is not very suitable for the events I usually attend." He pleaded with her. Mina looked a little hurt. But then she realized that he was probably right.

"So you want to go public?"

"What do you mean, duckling? Yes, show us some dresses, please." Lucius asked absentmindedly, as he instructed the store clerk as well.

"Do you want to tell everyone about us?" Mina clarified.

"Well, not right away, I mean, it's a big step after all and…..Arthur." Lucius replied, a little nervous. But his nerves disappeared when he saw Arthur Weasley appear in the shop.

"What's a big step, you already did me." Mina mumbled as she looked between the dresses on the rack. She bit her lip when she saw Arthur there. They hadn't officially met, but she heard all the stories about his family and the battle against Voldemort.

"Lucius. And this is Mina Harper, I take it? Nice to meet you, Mina. I'm Arthur Weasley." Arthur stated and Mina shook his hand. "You don't look so good, Mina, are you okay?"

"Nice to meet you , sir. No, I don't feel well, I'm afraid. I'm going to get some medicine once we're done here." She explained, clasping her hands behind her back and looking down. Lucius could see the lie come out of her mouth, when she acted so guilty. He just hoped that Arthur didn't notice it.

"So. How may I help you, Arthur? I'm sure you didn't come looking for me because you wanted to chat." Lucius stated, giving him the glance over.

"That's true, Lucius. Dumbledore sent me. He was worried about young miss Harper here."

"Worried? In what sense? She's fine. I mean, she's sick, but I'm taking care of her!" Lucius protested. At that moment ,the store clerk came back with a rack of dresses. "Here you are, sir, take your pick!" He said cheerfully, not aware of the tense situation.

"She's fine. I see." Arthur said, narrowing his eyes at Lucius. Lucius just rose a brow, doing his best to keep his face stoic. "I'm going to stop by your manor later. I want to talk to you. And I'm not doing it here."

Lucius huffed at hearing that Arthur would stop by. "I'll make sure to have tea ready!" He growled, as Arthur lifted his hat as a greeting and moseyed on.

"So you two aren't friends?" Mina asked once Arthur was gone. "That is correct, miss Harper. Now, let's see what we have here." Lucius replied shortly, not seeing how sad Mina was looking at him.

Back to last names. Great.

As he said, Arthur appeared into Lucius's study later that evening. The afternoon had been pleasant, but Arthur visiting them in the store did put a damper on their little outing.

"Lucius." Arthur stated, looking at the wizard sitting behind his desk. Lucius stood up and pointed his cane at Arthur. "Don't even start with me, Weasley! I don't know what you think you saw, but if you give Dumbledore false information then…."

The wizard paced around in his office, a mixture of pained guilt and frustration clear on his face, not finishing his sentence. Arthur shook his head in disbelief.

"She is sixteen, Lucius."

"Seventeen! And I know what she is!" He growled, losing his temper now. "Do you know how lonely it's been, what hole Narcissa left? I miss my son, I miss my wife! With Mina, that pain is less." His voice broke and he let out a sigh, a tremble clear in his voice.

"It's not fair to use her for that, she is head over heels."

A snort of discontent was all that came from Malfoy.

"You think she's not?"

"How could she love me, Arthur? I'm an old man. That girl is looking for a way to secure her future, I am looking for a replacement for my wife. No need for your moral input, we both know what this is and so does Dumbledore."

"Lucius, I don't think she would agree. Neither do I. Anyone can see that girl is crazy about you. And it's not fair to her if you are using her to fill a void. Tell me, is it because she is a muggle?"

Both men remembered the encounter they once had on Diagonally, where they both accused each other of being a disgrace to the wizarding world. Tension rose as they gave each other the stare down. Lucius was the first to break the silence.

"No, it's not, I do not hurt the girl on purpose. But it is the reason that she and I could never be. How would it look, Arthur?"

"It would look bad for different reasons than you think, Malfoy. If you are going to break that girls heart, do it now. And do it for the right reasons. If you love her, truly love her, then go for it. Forget Narcissa and move on, try to be happy despite of what anyone might think. But if you don't, then let her go. So she can find someone who will see her for all that she is and will love her for it, not condemn her."

Lucius wanted to object, but Arthur strode right into the fireplace and disappeared into the green flames. He shook his head and wanted to leave his study. Mina stood in the doorway, a horrified look on her face.

"Y-You told me that…" Tears made it impossible for her to go on.

"Duckling.."

"Just remember this, I may be dirt but you love to roll in it, Lucius." She growled and turned on her heels, ready so stride right out of the manor.

"Mina! Mina! Stop!" Lucius exclaimed, quickly following her.

"Fuck you!" Mina yelled at him as she rushed down the stairs, ignoring the stares from the help and Lucius's attempts to make her stop running.

Once she reached the end of the stairs, she bumped into someone that she hadn't even seen. She turned to look right into Sarah's face.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" She asked her, visibly still upset. Sarah hugged her daughter. "Lucius invited me this afternoon, he sent me directions, he wanted to surprise you."

"Mina, I didn't want Arthur to know the truth, that's why I said what I said. Will you please sit down with your mother and me, so we can have some dinner?"

Mina was conflicted. But she couldn't deny it had been nice of Lucius to invite Sarah. Would he have done that if he didn't care for her? She sighed and agreed. Soon, the three of them sat near the fireplace, plates on their laps, on the couch. It had been Mina's idea, since it had been suc h a long time eating on the couch with her plate. Lucius was noticeably awkward, not used to doing this.

"So Lucius, you wrote that you invited me to tell me something?" Sarah asked warmly. "Although if it's to tell me that Mina cut school, I already know."

Lucius and Mina both looked a little caught. "Dumbledore contacted me, I told him that I knew. But don't let it happen again, okay?" Sarah said sternly. Both Mina and Lucius mumbled a bit.

"Yes, but that is not what I wanted to tell you. I….I am not sure how to say this. I am courting Mina. I understand it's a shock, that I am older…but I have the best intentions and care for her very much." Lucius said, his stomach in a knot. Sarah smiled and was about to say that she and Mina already discussed it.

But the front door flew open and a woman entered the hall. She sauntered over to the couch, eyeing them in obvious condescension. Lucius stood up and squinted at her, in disbelief.

"Narcissa?! What are you doing here?"


	17. Chptr 17 - The wife, the mistress and

Narcissa smirked at her husband, seeming very pleased with the fact that she caught him completely off guard. Lucius was conflicted. There was hope. If Narcissa was here, then maybe Draco would soon follow. Or at least the door would be open to see him again. But he also felt caught. As if he was sitting here with his 'new family'. And there was another feeling. A longing. Back to his old life. Narcissa reminded him of better times. A time when they still had prestige and meant something in the wizarding world. With Mina, he sometimes felt like second-hand, despite the terribly selfish nature of that thought.

"Narcissa, you can't just waltz in here and…and…" Lucius stammered, looking from her to Mina, Sarah and back again. Lucy walked in as well, narrowing her eyes at the lot. Mina noticed her.

"And what, Lucius? Look at the little trollop that you're snogging these days? Do you remember  
telling Arthur Weasley he was a disgrace to the wizarding world? How do you feel about that now?"

Sarah stood up and planted her hands in her sides, glaring at the blonde woman that interrupted them so rudely. "Excuse me, but I won't have you talking like that about…"

"About my husband's little slut, yes." Narcissa interjected that sentence, not letting Sarah finish. She planted her hands in her sides as well and eyed the woman up and down. "Muggle, I hear. I had no idea that my husband's taste changed so much. Although 'deteriorated' is a better word for it, I'm afraid."

"You're going too far, Narcissa!" Lucius said sternly, raising his voice at her. This seemed to shock her, or at least it caught her off guard for a moment. With shaken eyes she stared at him for a few moments.

"Well, well. And here I thought it would have been a good idea to let Draco back in your life….but it seems our trial period continues." The woman mused, giving both Lucius and Sarah the glance over. Lucius grimaced, visibly hurt at the fact that he'd not see Draco if it was up to her.

"You are a vile and evil woman, to keep Lucius away from his son! And his son away from his father! I would never do that to my children, not in a million years." Sarah stated, shaking her head at Narcissa.

"This isn't about you, you filthy mu…." The woman replied, but Lucy suddenly walked up them, wagging her finger in Mina's face.

"Not her, mistress, HER! That disgusting muggle girl! She's the one that he's fucking!" Lucy growled in a shrill voice, causing an awkward silence to fall between them. Sarah gave Mina a look of astonishment, while she desperately avoided her mother's eyes. Lucius glowered at Lucy before turning his gaze to the floor.

"I see." Narcissa said in a hushed voice, noticeable anger in her tone. Not only did she want to keep her relationship between her and Lucy a secret, the fact that her husband was getting it on with someone even younger than this woman in front of her was devastating to her. As if she had to compete with someone even better now.

"So. You've put a spy in my house. While you were the one that wanted nothing to do with me anymore." Lucius said, also trying to suppress his anger.  
Narcissa clasped her hands behind her back, sneering at Lucius. "You can't prove that." She simply said, leaving it at that.

"But I can." Mina finally spoke up and seemed smug. "She put aconite in my food the other day, while professor Snape was eating dinner with us. And I found a way to prove it."

"It wasn't aconite, you daft muggle!" Lucy shouted at her. "It was alihotsy!"

Narcissa let out an audible annoyed sigh and Mina just laughed, as Lucy realized that she pretty much just confessed while Mina had no proof at all.

"I don't care that you're pureblood, you're a dumb young girl." She said with a chuckle and Sarah nodded approvingly at her daughter.

"This is rather wonderful, I've been wanting to do this for months now. Lucy, you're fired. Effective immediately, I'm afraid. Pack your things and leave this manor. Take this deranged woman with you, please." Lucius said casually, but boiling with anger on the inside. He suspected Lucy from the start, but without anything solid, he hadn't wanted to accuse her of anything.

Narcissa started to panic, seeing her perfect little plan fall into a thousand pieces. "You can't do this, Lucius!" She spat, glaring at Sarah and Mina before turning back to Lucius. "Do you not want to see your son? Or did you forget about us that fast?"

"Of course I want to see Draco!" Lucius replied annoyed, "But you weren't going to let me see him to begin with. This was your master plan, wasn't it? To waltz in here, 'catch' me with Mina and make me beg to let the both of you back into my life. Well, I'm not. I don't want you back in it. I do want to see Draco, but he'll find his way back to me, with or without you!"

Sarah took a deep breath and put her hand on Mina's shoulder. "Let's go see Clint, alright? In the garden? He's here, isn't he?" Mina nodded at the question. Sarah wanted to give Lucius and Narcissa some privacy, before Lucius would throw away every possible option to see his son ever again. Quickly the two of them rushed themselves to the garden, where they found Clint. Gladly, he showed them around and took some requests for planting certain flowers for spring.

"I thought I told you to pack your things? Madame Collins?" Lucius said to Lucy angrily, addressing madame Collins as she wanted to quietly stroll by. "Yes, sir?" She said in a hushed voice, avoiding eye contact. "Can you please help Lucy pack? Make sure she only takes her own things, none of mine or Mina?" The elder woman nodded and hushed Lucy as she silently tried to protest, being led out of the room.

"Lucius, I…" Narcissa started but Lucius held up his hand. "No. Not here. In my study."

The pair found his study and Lucius locked the door behind them, making sure no curious staff members would 'accidentally' walk in.

"If you are going to hold Draco over my head as a weapon then you can stop it right this second, Narcissa!" He heatedly told her, hastening himself to his scotch, so he could pour himself a big drink. "I will not have it! You left ME, remember? And…"

"And you didn't stop me, did you?!" She suddenly yelled back at him as tears filled her eyes. "You LET me walk out! And your son! You traded us in as if we were nothing!"

Lucius was silent. She was right. He hadn't stopped her. He never tried to find her. Not once had he thought about the possibility that this whole ordeal would have been painful for her as well. Or for Draco, for that matter.

Narcissa sat on the little green couch across from the desk, standing against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, so Lucius would not see her tears. But her pain was exceptionally apparent.

"If you had only see him cry. Cry for his father that did nothing to find him." She finally managed to say, a few tears falling on her cheeks.

"You took him from me. I had no clue where you'd gone." Lucius weakly replied, gulping down the golden liquid in his glass.

"And this girl….a girl, Lucius!" She continued, giving him a disgusted look. "How old is she? Twenty? Twenty one?"

"Seventeen." Lucius replied, his voice a mere whisper.

"Seventeen." Narcissa replied, disbelief in her tone. "Seventeen!" She then yelled, throwing a pillow in his direction. It hit the floor before coming even close to him and Narcissa cried in her hands.

"My connection with her is in no way an effort to hurt you, or make you feel ashamed, Narcissa." Lucius told her awkwardly, not really used to having to comfort her.

But suddenly something dawned on him. "Hang on…the girl…she called you 'mistress'. Are you and her…involved?"

Narcissa's face shot back up, no trace of any real tears on her face. "Are you interrogating ME now?! After sullying yourself with that…with that…."

"I remember you telling me that you and Draco were going to 'soak up' the muggle culture? That is what you told me, at least. And you're here, lecturing me about getting it on with a 'girl' when you yourself have a rather twisted thing going on with this little hussy Lucy. That you instructed to spy on me, for that matter. I think those tears are better left un-cried, Narcissa."

"I don't let Draco see her, if that's what you think. He has no idea that she and I are…involved." She replied, unwillingly.

All of a sudden, Lucius gave her a rather lustful look. "Mistress? Is that what she calls you? I've never known this side of you, Narcissa."

Just when she was about to smirk at him, his tone changed. "Maybe if you touched me in the last ten years, we could have had a little fun with that."

Within seconds, her eyes spat fire again. "That mudblood is very obviously not satisfying you, Luicus, that meek little thing! I know very well what you like in bed and that trollop isn't giving it to you! You need someone like me, someone to take charge."

"I can assure you that she took matters into her own hands, the other night." Lucius assured her with a wink. Narcissa walked up to him and slapped him across his face. "Do NOT speak to me like that!" She hissed. Lucius grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, so their noses were almost touching.

"Careful, Narcissa. Or I will have to teach you a lesson, right here on this desk." He said softly, delicately, but oh so warning.

Meanwhile, Clint was showing Sarah the maze. "This place is nuts, I keep getting lost in it!" He said jokingly, making his mom and sister laugh. "It's actually where I found mister Malfoy and Mina, the first time I came here. Was he showing it you then?" He asked his sister and eyed her confused when she blushed from ear to ear.

"Maybe it's a good idea to tell Clint. So he won't be too surprised?" Sarah urged her daughter, thinking this was a perfect time, with no Lucius or ex-wives in the way.

"Tell me what?"

"Mom, not now. I'm not ready yet."

"Tell me what?"

"Mina? Tell him. Clint? Be nice to your sister." Sarah told them both, a little stern. Then she turned her attention to the maze, which seemed to daze her thoughts for some reason. She carefully touched the hedges and her gaze drifted into the distance.

"Clint. You're my brother. I love you very much." Mina started and Clint looked back at her, annoyed. "My sister loves me." He repeated dryly.

"Stop it! I'm trying to say something. You may already know but eh…me and mister Malfoy…me and Lucius…we're kind of ehm…involved." She carefully said, putting her hand on his shoulder to calm him down from the obvious anger that the statement sparked in him. "Wait, wait, don't go barging in there, beating him down. He's been very respectful and kind to me, I care for him very much."

"Mina, that guy is prejudice against our kind. I've heard stories about him that will make your toes curl. All I say is: research him. Ask around. See what you find. If you decide that you can live with all that, then that's your business. But don't say I didn't warn you." Clint firmly told her, giving her a hug when he saw her face fall. He wanted to be supportive, but it felt wrong to do so with all the knowledge he had about Lucius. But he also knew that it would be best to let her make up her own mind.

Sarah seemed to wake up from her day dream and frowned at them. "What's wrong, kids? Are you okay?" Clint eyed her. "What happened to you? It was like you were away."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. What's wrong, Mina?" Sarah asked her daughter, when she saw tears fall on her cheeks. "I'm afraid they're getting back together. Just when I got closer to him. I can't lost him, mom." The girl said in a small voice. "But if he gets to see Draco that way, then I'll let him go."

Sarah smiled, proud of having such a grown up and attentive daughter. Her heart was hurting for her, but she knew that the girl would make the right decision if needed.

Back in the house, Lucius was seeing Narcissa out. Lucy was waiting for her at the front door, her eyes darting from side to side, as if she was desperately looking for a way to stay in the house. "So, Luicus. Visits once a week, to check up on each other's lives. No secrets, no lies. Full disclosure, so we can see if we can bring Draco back into your life. And we have to find a pleasant way to deal with each other, if we are going to keep him there. Did I get that right?" The woman asked him, her tone strict, but not fully cold.  
"Yes, you got that right, Narcissa, the wellbeing of Draco will be our main priority, then the rest will fall into place." Lucius agreed, a bit more warm than before as well. "But I don't want to see Lucy here again." He added, sneering at the girl.

"You won't. Trust me." Narcissa assured him and left, Lucy by her side. The girl was struggling with her suitcases, but Narcissa wasn't offering a helping hand or any words of comfort.

"What's the next step, mistress?" Lucy finally asked, once the silent became too deafening for her to bear. She knew she messed up Nacissa's plan, she gave them away far too soon. But she didn't know how to undo it, or what to say to make it better.

"The next step, my dear….." Narcissa started to stay, venom in her tone of voice, "…is that I am going to seduce my husband again. It's clear to me that he still desires me. And we are going to make good use of that."

"Of course, mistress, what a smart plan. Winning him back out of the arms of that mudblood!" Lucy eagerly said, hoping to get back into her mistress's good grace.

"Oh, I don't want him back, you silly girl!" Narcissa replied, letting out a little giggle at this senseless insinuation.

"But you said…."

"I am going to destroy him. The name Lucius Malfoy will be sullied, worthless, no decent wizard will ever speak to him again!" The blonde woman explained, a vengeful tone of voice spilling out of her mouth. "That'll teach him to trade me in for a mudblood. But first…I am going to punish you for what you caused. When we're home, you will go to the spare bedroom and wait for me there."

Lucy let out a tiny whimper. This was going to be a long night. "Yes, mistress."


	18. Chapter 18 - Friend or faux?

"Duckling, you look worried, what is troubling you?" Lucius asked Mina, once they saw Sarah off. Mina frowned. Was this the right time to be honest? Or would that be selfish? She followed him to his study before she answered his question. With Lucy gone, there were still ears all over.

"What did you and Narcissa talk about?" She finally asked, figuring it would make no sense to lie, he'd see right through her anyway.

"Draco, mostly. How we are going to 'let him back into my life'." Lucius answered, rolling his eyes with a sigh. "I don't believe for a single second that she's going to do it, but fine. I'll play along if I need to. I just want to see my son again, that's what matters."

Mina nodded, she understood what he meant. "Lucius, if I have to step back, then I will." She told him, a serious look on her face. For a moment, Lucius was confused.

"Step back? You mean retreat from my life? You'll do no such thing. Narcissa left me because she said my beliefs about the muggles were 'backwards'. She should be proud that I advanced so much that I am courting one." He said sternly, sitting down behind his desk and gesturing for Mina to sit down as well.

"Are your beliefs different now?" Mina then asked, sounding plain and not accusatory. Still, Lucius gave her a glare. "Was last night not proof enough?" Mina blushed heavily when she was reminded of their night.

"So we can have a ball? To let everyone know that we're together?" Mina asked him, tilting her head. She didn't like it that he hesitated. "So no, I guess." She finally answered her own question.

"Duckling, you have to understand that I can't do anything to anger Narcissa at the moment, not when reuniting with Draco is so near. You understand, don't you? I think we should discuss eh….how do I put it delicately….protection?"

Mina felt like a child that he was chastising, with how easily he stepped over her question, using Narcissa as an excuse. But his question distracted her. "Protection? For what? Do you think Narcissa or Lucy will want to hurt me?"

"No, no, I don't think they'll resort to that, I meant eh…our nightly activities. I can imagine that thinking of a child is far too soon at this point in our courtship. So…" He explained, but found it hard to say certain things out loud.

"Oh! You mean, that I shouldn't get pregnant? No, no, that's way too soon, I might not even want kids at all! I'm on the pill. Birth control pills." She answered, when it finally dawned on her what Lucius meant.

"Pills so you can prevent to get pregnant? I must say that this is a muggle invention worth exploring." Lucius stated, seeming a little impressed. Mina smiled at him from across the table, but there was a sadness in her eyes. Lucius saw it, but he said nothing.

"I better go back to Hogwarts, see what homework I still have to do before class tomorrow." Mina stated awkwardly. "Yes, good idea, duckling. One more kiss before you go?" He asked, looking at her sweetly.

With a smile, Mina walked around the desk and kissed him, soon deepening it in desire. With a gasp, they both pulled back and stared at each other lustfully.

"Homework, duckling. I'll see you here Wednesday for your tutor-lesson." Lucius murmured, staring at her lips. Mina whimpered in protest, but Lucius tsked.

"Fine, see you Wednesday." Mina purred, pressing another kiss against his lips before hurrying out of his study. After gathering her belongings, the girl quickly travelled back to her school, hurrying to see if she could find Carla to ask about the work she missed.

Surprisingly, she found her friend in the arms of a boy. Mickey, to be exact, the Hufflepuf boy they were both friends with. They were both sitting on Carla's bed and quite entangled in one another. Mina entered the room and cleared her throat, to let them know that she was there.

"Mina! What are you doing here?" Carla called out, jumping up from the bed. Mickey stood up as well, looking upset.

"Well, we share this room, remember? And don't worry about me, I'm happy for you both. Are you seeing each other?" Mina answered, putting down her bag and unpacking it.

"Yeah…" Mickey started to say.

"No…" Carla said at the same time. Mickey gave her a hurt look and excused himself. Mina frowned at her friend. "Why are you upsetting that boy like that? He's crazy about you!"

"You're the one that's crazy! You missed two days of school!" Carla accused her friend, planting her arms in her sides. Mina opened her mouth to protest, but Carla talked over her. "No! Don't even try it! I know where you were! The whole school knows where you were!"

"Carla, why are you making such a big deal about it? Mister Malfoy just joined me for a visit at my mom's place, did I tell you that Clint is back? He joined us too and it was lovely. But I think I caught a cold or something, I felt so chilly."

Carla scoffed and started to organize her side of the room, pacing around from her trunk to her desk and back. "Mina, you stayed away from school, right after your seventeenth birthday? Come now. I didn't see it at first, but after we had dinner there, it was clear to me. You're screwing him!"

When Mina blushed, Carla had her confirmation. "I love him." She weakly stated, causing her friend to shake her head at her. "Why do you care so much to begin with? I thought you'd be happy for me." Mina started to sound accusatory.

"Happy for you? Mina in another life time that man would have killed you! Just for having muggle parents!" Carla half-shouted at her, her voice shrill of frustration. Mina let out a sob, her eyes filling with tears at the cruel outburst of her friend.

"He would not! He's very sweet and kind. He'd never hurt me like that!" She protested. Again Carla scoffed at her. "Yes, he would. He once tried to have a book banned here from the library, just because a wizard got into a relationship in the story! 'Wizards shouldn't mate with muggles', is what he said! I did a little research about him. He was a follower of Voldemort! Do you remember us being fourth-years? Hiding in the Ravenclaw tower during the battle, afraid that the death eaters would find us? If he had found you back then, he'd have killed you or have you killed!"

"Shut up! Just because you're too busy whoring yourself out to all the different houses, you can't even recognize real love!" Mina shouted at her friend, who gasped in shock at these hurtful words. "That's why you were so shocked when I saw you with Mickey, you're allergic to anything resembling a nice, normal relationship! Well, maybe you should have told that boy before he fell crazy in love with you, that it was just about having sex with him!"

The silence that fell between them was deafening.

"Mina, I was just looking out for you." Carla said, her voice now a mere whisper. Mina swallowed hard. She didn't intend this. She realized that she was far too hard on her friend just now. What she didn't know, was how to undo it. "I don't want him to hurt you. I don 't believe he bettered himself." Carla added, averting her gaze.

"I don't want you to hurt Mickey, Carla. Did you see him just now? How he looked at you? Why not go for it, for once?" Mina replied, still trying to gloss over Lucius's issues.

"Because of my parents." Carla replied, letting herself fall on her bed with sad sigh. This was new, Carla never talked about her parents. "They're bigoted, Mina. In more than one way. They're only pureblood daughter coming home with a halfblood black boy? They'd have my head. I don't want to do that to Mickey, he's so kind. He deserves better than me. That's why I want better for you, Mina, you don't deserve bigotry either." Carla covered her eyes with her hands and cried. For the first time since Carla found Mina crying on the train to Hogwarts, at eleven years old, Carla cried. It was almost disheartening to see for Mina. But she sat next to her friend and she hugged her dearly, finally understanding her defensive nature. Of course she never wanted to become too close to a boy, if she knew her parents weren't going to approve of him. And of course she didn't want Mina to go through the same thing.

"I'm so sorry, Carla." Mina said softly, feeling tears well in her own eyes as well. Carla let out a dry chuckle. "Let's just chalk it up to us trying to look out for each other." Now Mina laughed as well and got them some tissues.

"But Lucius really does love me, Carla, he does!" Mina assured her friend.

While she was trying to convince her friend of this truth, Narcissa was stepping through the fireplace in Lucius's study, Lucy close behind her. Lucius looked up from his work, raising a brow at them.

"Excuse me? What are you doing here?" He asked, sounding annoyed. "I thought we'd give each other some notice before just showing up?"

"I have to make sure that your actions aren't damaging Draco, Lucius. And to determine that, I need to show up whenever I think it's right." Narcissa said, sounding innocent and casual.

"And you brought your doormat. Wonderful." Lucius replied, narrowing his eyes at the girl. Lucy glared back at him, but she didn't respond. After last night, she knew better than to speak out of line.

"Lucius, that's no talk for a father on parole." Narcissa pointed out smugly, draping herself over the little couch near the door. "Aren't you going to offer us something to drink? The muggle girl is causing you to lose your manners. Where is she now, back to school?"

"Yes, she is. Bright young lady, her entire life in front of her." The blonde wizard retorted, stepping away from his desk to pour the three of them some scotch. He gave Narcissa a little smirk when he handed her the glass, causing her to lose her smugness.

"You are going to get rid of her, Lucius. Fire the girl, take Lucy back in. Otherwise Draco will never find his way back here." Narcissa told him, staring up at him, over the rim of her glass.

"You can't force this, Narcissa. Lucy poisoned a member of my staff. I don't think it will be good for Draco if I let someone dangerous and unstable in my house. You can't disagree with that. Besides, you were the one telling me that I needed to be more accepting of the muggles. What more accepting than courting one? You are contradicting yourself. I won't stand for it." Lucius replied in a delicate manner, staring back at the woman in front of him.

"Come now, Lucius, you can't expect me to believe you actually care about that silly girl and her muggle family." She said with a chuckle.

"I don't expect anything from you. I just want to see my son."

It was as if saying this finally made it clear to Narcissa that she truly lost her husband. She glared for a moment but then softened her look. She beckoned for Lucy, who stepped forward, placing herself on the couch next to Narcissa. Narcissa held the back of Lucy's neck and kissed her passionately. When she glanced back at Lucius, she saw the arousal in his eyes.

"Are you sure about that, Lucius? We'd love to share you. That little girl can't satisfy a man like you. But we can. I promise."

Before Lucius answered, Narcissa knew she'd won. Lucius's body betrayed him and Narcissa knew her husband far too well to be fooled. She smirked and started to undress Lucy, who willingly let her. Once the girl was bare, Narcissa undressed herself, kissing the girl again.

"Touch her, Lucius, let me see." Narcissa whispered and pushed Lucy towards him, gently planting her hand on the small of her back.

"You are not winning me over, Narcissa. We are done." Lucius tried to say firmly, but the tremble in his voice was another betrayal of how much he wanted them.

"Silly man. This is just beginning. Think of what we could have. The three of us." As Narcissa said this, she reached around Lucy's waist and began to knead her breasts, causing the girl to softly moan. The woman sucked a spot on her neck and the girl cried out in pleasure.

Lucius sat on top of his desk and drank from his glass.

"Go on." He said in a hoarse voice.


	19. Chapter 19 - Once upon a December

**Chapter 19 – Once upon a December**

Narcissa hummed, almost purring like a cat that just devoured an entire fish that was meant for dinner. They're lovemaking had been intense, demanding and eager. They collapsed on the little couch near the door of the study, Lucius on the bottom and the two woman sprawled out, on top of him.

"I knew you'd still have it in you." Narcissa smugly remarked, grazing her nails across Lucius's lower abdomen. He let out a soft gasp at the sensation. "We never made love like this, Narcissa." He replied, a hint of accusation in his voice. Lucy stayed silent, but was obviously content with the situation.

"No, but maybe it's better this way. We rediscovered ourselves tonight, Lucius. You surprised me. As I'm sure we surprised you." The blonde and black-haired woman retorted, smiling. "Now you can get rid of that silly girl and Lucy and I can come back together. If all goes well, Draco can soon join us as well."

Lucius didn't answer. An eerie feeling was spreading in his stomach, but he didn't know how to bring it up to Narcissa. Somehow she knew what his awkward silence meant. This had not been his plan. She got up, pushing Lucy out of the way, ignoring her whines. She turned so she could look at Lucius. Lucy got up and dressed herself, sulking a little about being ignored by the both of them. Also, she felt that this wasn't going to end well.

"You are sending her away, right? That girl? It's just unheard of, Lucius. It's a disgrace! A wizard of your grandeur and prestige, shacking it up with some barmaid's daughter?" Lucius moved himself until Narcissa got up, no longer pinning him down on that forsaken couch. He felt like he could finally breath, finally think again.

"Narcissa, I understand that you might be disappointed, that you hoped things would go differently, but I…I care for Mina very much. And I'd like to pursue…" He calmly started to say as he dressed himself.

"…you'd like to pursue fucking her?!" Narcissa screeched in a sharp voice. Once again there was nothing but hate in her eyes and vengeance in her voice. "I knew it was a bad idea to let Draco back into your life!"

"You didn't let Draco back into my life!" Lucius replied, raising his voice as well. Narcissa knew exactly how to get on his nerves. "All you did was parade this sick little side show in my home! In our home, where we raised Draco!" He continued, gesturing at Lucy. The girl frowned and stared out the window, doing her best to drown out the voices.

"Well, you're the one that doesn't want it to be our home anymore!" Narcissa yelled back, pacing back and forth in the little study.

"You walked out on me! On us! And now that you're jealousy is getting the better of you, you're running back to me, trying to seduce me with your…"

"I did seduce you!" Narcissa reminded Lucius, evidently smug about this fact. "You were as weak as ever! Toppling over at the smallest morsel of temptation! And if you think I won't tell that little trollop, you're sadly mistaken! You send her away with some made up story and accept Lucy and I back into this house, or I'll tell her myself! Either way you'll lose her, so you might as well do it on your own terms! You do this, Lucius, or you'll never see Draco again!"

"You are as vindictive and conniving as the day you walked out of here." Lucius stated, eerily calm. He poured himself another scotch and took a sip before speaking again. "You let your resentment towards me stand in the way of a father and son that want to be together. You can mock me as much as you want, Narcissa, but you can never make me feel low about myself. I'd never do something as vile as this to you, no matter how angered I was."

Narcissa opened her mouth to protest, but Lucius little speech hit close to home and she didn't know what to say to this. "I will return next Sunday evening. Then you can let me know if you showed Mina the door or if I have to let her know what happened here today. Break her heart, Lucius. Or I'll do it." She finally stammered, doing her best to sound firm. But Lucius knew her and he knew the tremble of insecurity in her voice.

"Leave, Narcissa." Lucius said shortly, narrowing his eyes at the woman. "And take your maid with you."

With a huff of discontent, Narcissa ordered Lucy to follow her and they made their way back to the little house that they inhabited together. Lucius sighed sadly, letting himself fall on the large chair behind his desk. "What have I done?" He asked himself, but no answer came.

He heard madam Collins panic a little downstairs. "No, you can't just walk in here and go to see him, you'll have to make an appointment with my lord first!" She exclaimed, a hushed and much more calm voice protesting this tedious fact.

"What now?" Luicus growled as he tucked his blouse into his pants, doing his best to look presentable at this uninvited guest. As soon as he was done, the door to his study swung open and Albus Dumbledore walked in.

"Lucius. I need to speak with you." The tall wizard stated, in his usual calm, but stern demeanour. Behind him, madam Collins was squeaking out apologies.

"It's fine, madam Collins, it's fine." Lucius assured her, avoiding eye-contact. The woman avoided eye-contact as well, confirming what the three of them already knew. The question now was how long it would take them to feel too awkward to ignore it any longer. She excused herself and quickly shut the door behind Albus, who sat down across from Lucius.

"Why don't you sit down…." Lucius said sardonically. "Thank you, Lucius." Albus stated, a little twinkle of mirth hiding in the corner of his eye. "What are you doing here, Albus? Are you out of lackeys?" Lucius asked him, a grim tone in his voice.

"Not at all, since nobody is my lackey. I don't have people waiting on my every foot." Dumbledore told him, looking at him over the rim of his glasses. Lucius shifted in his seat awkwardly. "I'm here because I wanted to express my worries over Mina. She missed school for two days."

"So you're making house calls over missed days of school now? I'd think you'd be far too busy for that, with running a school for instance!" Lucius threw at his feet, with a huff.

Dumbledore pretended not to have understood what Lucius just accused him of. Instead, he continued his story. "Lucius, this infatuation with miss Harper….I suspect you have different intentions. Different reasons to feel for the other. But it has to stop, Lucius. She's just a girl."

There was no accusation, no pressure, no scandalized attitude. There were simple facts and Lucius knew very well that the elder man was right. But he couldn't let her go. He found a sliver of happiness, a way to forget about his wretched life. He had to cling to it, devour it completely before it would be gone.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. What do you know about love." He scoffed, getting up from his chair to turn around and face the window. He glanced at his garden, which wasn't in bloom, but was neatly kept by the Barton boy. Another reminder that this family was good for him and presented possibilities and chances.

"I know enough to see when it's not real, Lucius. At least not from your side. We both know what you see in her. She's a very charming girl. Even I see that. If there's anything I can do to make this easier…"

Dumbledore was still in the middle of his story, when they were interrupted by a hooded figure that entered the room through the fireplace. When the hood was lifted, Lucius let out a frustrated groan when he saw that it was Lucy.

"What is it now? Are you looking for a roll in the hay one on one? Cause I'm simply done letting you and my wife control…" But Lucius stopped speaking ,when he saw the tears that ran down Lucy's cheeks. Dumbledore got up from his seat and gently sat the girl down on it, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping away her tears.

"There we are. Lucy Vance, if I remember correctly? Your aunt was the great Emmeline Vance? I remember you from your time at Hogwarts. How are you, my dear? Why these tears?"

Lucy seemed overwhelmed by all this positive attention and attentive behaviour. "Y-Yes, sir, I'm sorry, I-I…" She stammered, but Albus gently caressed her cheek. "Hush, calm down first. Right, Lucius?"

"Yes, of course." Lucius replied shortly, wondering why Albus had so much more paternal instince than him, while never becoming a father himself. Maybe it was better if Draco didn't return to his life. What kind of selfish father was he? He had the chance to get Draco back and he laughed at it.

"I obliviated her." Lucy suddenly blurted out, clasping her hand over her mouth with a gasp, shocked at her own words.

"You what?" Lucius asked, feeling relief and worry at the same time. "I did a good job! You don't have to worry!" She assured the man, a little offended that he might think she messed it up.

"But she wanted to hurt you. To use you. Use tonight against you. She said it last time we were here. When you sent us away the first time." Lucy continued and again Dumbledore gave Lucius an unsympathetic glance over his glasses, getting an idea of all the things that transpired before he arrived.

"I thought as much. I was a fool for…" Lucius mused for a moment but then cleared his throat. "But why are you suddenly so prone on helping me? I can imagine you're quite cross with me." He continued, presenting his doubts out loud.

Lucy stared at him for a moment, then stared at Dumbledore, then back to Lucius again. "No judgement from me, Lucy, don't worry. " The elder wizard assured her. It was rude of him to stay, during a personal thing like this, but Dumbledore needed to interfere, he couldn't ignore what was going on.

"It's not right. What she's doing to you. Or to me. She takes my pay, so I can't leave her. I had to tell on you, or she wouldn't feed or house me. She's not good to me. I don't want to stay anymore. And…I know you don't love me. Not like I love you." Lucy rambled, wiping a few falling tears from her cheeks. Lucius felt awkward, but stayed silent. "So if I can't be with you, to love you, I want Mina to love you. I didn't do much good in my life. So I'm starting today. I erased tonight from Narcissa's memory. So she won't be able to tell Mina."

"And you want something in return for your silence." Lucius stated, Dumbledore opened his mouth to protest, to point out that Lucius shouldn't always think the worst of people, Lucy was doing a selfless thing here. But Lucy confirmed what Lucius said, before Albus could defend her.

"That's right! I feel like I deserve it! Or maybe you do want me to tell Mina?" She asked him with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared up at hm.

"Lucy, are you afraid that Narcissa is going to hurt you?" Albus asked, in a serene tone. The girl averted her gaze and nodded. "I need to hide from her."

Lucius sighed and thought for a moment. This wasn't something he could do alone. "Albus, if I make sure this girl has the financial means, can you take care of the rest?" He asked, hoping this wouldn't be too embarrassing.

"Of course, Lucius. I will make sure that miss Vance is never found by Narcissa."

"Thank you. Now, this should be enough." Lucius mused, writing an amount on a piece of parchment and showing it to Lucy. By the look of her large eyes, he suspected that it was indeed enough. "I'll send an owl to Gringotts, Albus will take you back to Hogwarts and make arrangement for you. It's best not to return to Narcissa before you take off. She might suspect something."

Albus stood up and nodded, waiting for Lucius to send his owl before he took the girl and would set everything in motion.

In the next few weeks, he did his best to talk to Lucius about his relationship with Mina. But because of Narcissa's countless visits, Lucius needed Mina beside him more than anything. Mina kept insisting that Lucius would be open and kind with Narcissa, cause soon she'd run out of excuses and ways to manipulate him. She showed more maturity than was expected, for her age. Lucius kept denying her pleas to go public, which caused her to slowly give up on them. Finally, when December came around, Lucius received an owl with a letter.

 _"_ _Dear Lucius,_

 _The headmaster has been very kind to me, he helped me find a new home in a faraway place. You'll understand I won't disclose where. I learned very much from Narcissa ,despite her flaws. I learned that we need to pursue love and kindness. Do right by Mina Harper. She deserves it and so do you. I have wronged both you and her, this is my way of making it up to you. Present her to the world and live your life. Do it for the both of you. Do it for me._

 _Kind regards,_

 _Lucy."_


	20. Chapter 20 - Out in the open

Lucy's note caused a slight change in Lucius. At first he had been upset with the girl, for first spying on him, plotting against him with his wife and then trying to extort him afterwards, but her note showed that she had a good heart. On top of that, Mina's cold demeanour showed him that he needed to act. She was getting more and more upset that he wasn't showing her and their love to the world. It wasn't hard for her, Lucius thought. She had no name in the wizard world, she had no idea what he needed to uphold to remain in his good name. But her arguments hit too close to home. She said that the reason why he didn't want to go public was because he was ashamed of her and her heritage. This was too true, of course it was true. Lucius Malfoy with a muggle-born girl. A seventeen muggle-born girl. It was be a devastating blow to him and his reputation. Another notion he had was that the rest of the staff treated him cooler than usual. Oh sure, they did their chores and did them well, but whenever he spoke to anyone, the answers were short and lacked warmth. Lucius wasn't sure if this was because of his relationship with Mina, or because of his lack of openness about it.

Narcissa showed herself less and less. Lucius wasn't sure how to feel about this. Perhaps she was saddened because of Lucy's sudden disappearance. It didn't matter, he was glad that he wasn't a suspect in the matter. He suspected that Narcissa had never been aware of Lucy's feelings for him. Otherwise, she'd surely put have one and one together. What did matter was that having Draco back was both so close and unattainable at the same time.

Friday night came around again and Mina arrived at the manor. Without telling Lucius she was here, she went to her room and opened her books, to do some homework. She was pissed. This was going on and on, he wasn't going tell anyone about them. Part of her wondered why she wanted this so much. Was she looking for proof? Was she afraid that what Lucius told Arthur, that it was the truth? Perhaps.

"Duckling?" Lucius asked, as he appeared on her doorstep. Mina looked up and looked back down to her books. "Hey." She stated shortly. For a moment, Lucius wondered if she was part dementor, by how cold the room suddenly was.

"I didn't hear you come in. Usually you come to see me." He said carefully, afraid to set off the obvious time bomb in the room.

"Usually I'm in a better mood. Plus I didn't want anybody to see me." She replied, a little snarky. Lucius sighed and rolled his eyes at her display. Mina saw it and glared.

"If I'm that much of a bother to you, I'll leave. Say the word and I'm gone."

"I don't want you gone, duckling. But is it so hard to understand that I want us to be just us? I'm still not seeing Draco, I need to be able to still do business with my business partners, it's not your heritage that I worry over, but it is your age. I'm not exactly young and our age difference is so big…" He made puppy eyes at her and now it was Mina's turn to roll her eyes.

Before Lucius was able to point out Mina's childish behaviour, they heard someone enter through the fireplace downstairs.

"Lucius? Where are you?" Narcissa's voice sounded, a hint of shrillness in it. Both Lucius and Mina let out a groan. Mina quickly got up from the bed and changed into her uniform, so Narcissa couldn't accuse her of being here without having to work.

"I'm here, Narcissa, I'll come downstairs." Lucius called out, quickly rushing down the stairs. Mina wanted to hear what was going on, so she got some of the cleaning supplies that were stored in a closet upstairs, then started to dust something in the hallway.

"I think we should pretend that we are back together. At least for a little while, so the wizard community will at least think that we're civilized." She demanded, even before Lucius arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"Narcissa, why would we do that? That would serve no purpose at all." Lucius answered, sounding tired. Mina felt a knot form in her stomach, she was glad that Lucius wasn't jumping to agree with her, but he wasn't exactly quick to point out that she and Lucius were together.

"It will be good for our reputation. Your reputation. Plus, maybe Draco will be more inclined to come with me if he thinks there is hope between us." Narcissa explained herself, crossing her arms over her chest, looking at Lucius smugly.

What a bitch, Mina thought. Evidently she was just holding this in front of Lucius, so he'd agree to this. She was really reaching to milk this as much as she could. Mina wished that she could interfere. But that would only hurt Lucius's cause, she knew.

"So, I will move back here, of course, we will make sure we will be seen at the important events. I'm sure you will receive more and more invitations once the word gets out that we decided to get do this." She continued, when Lucius didn't respond. She mistook his silence for agreement. "And like I said, if Draco thinks there is at least a glimmer of hope for us, I'm sure he'll want to join me next time. He wasn't happy when I informed him that his father was shacking with a muggle girl."

Mina eyed them and sighed sadly, she knew that her days here were numbered. If Narcissa wanted to move back here, she knew that she'd be the first thing to move out. Mina mistook Lucius's silence for an agreement as well. But her sadness seemed to spark a protest in the tall, blonde wizard.

"Why must you make me the villain, every time you speak to him?!" Lucius suddenly asked, raising his voice to Narcissa. For a moment, she was astonished. But then she smirked at him again.

"I'm just telling him the truth, Lucius. What else would I tell him? Am I correct to notice you are not interested in seeing your son?"

"No, you are not correct!" He fired back, pacing back and forth, his cane clicking on the floor over and over. The sound made Mina anxious to be in his arms. "You are trying to pit that boy against me for your own selfish gain! I am not 'playing house' with you again! I don't care what the wizard community will say! You just want to get close to me, don't you? Hoping I'll forgive and forget all about your sick little games and welcome you back into my life. Well, I'm done! I am not doing this to myself and I'm not doing this to Mina!"

Mina's heart fluttered a little when he called her name and stood up for her. For them. Finally, after weeks of being in the dark, she found a glimmer of hope herself. Narcissa was less pleased with this outburst.

"Mina? Come here." She called out to the girl.

Mina swallowed hard and descended from the staircase, duster in hand. Once she was downstairs, Narcissa eyed her up and down and smirked a little. Lucius sighed. "I'll not have you demean her, Narcissa, stop this."

"Hush, Lucius. So. Mina Harper. Sarah Harper is your mother, is she not? I investigated you. From my understanding, your mother is a barmaid at a local tavern. Is that correct?"

"Yes, miss, she tends bar and sings on occasion. It's a lovely little place." Mina replied in a small voice, clasping her hands behind her back so the duster would be out of sight, since Narcissa found it so amusing that she was holding it.

"And you are working for my husband, as a maid in this house. Because your mother cannot make the payments to Hogwarts. Is that correct as well?"

"Yes, miss."

"What a well-spoken little girl." Narcissa praised her, but the venom was dripping from her tone. "But that is what you are, isn't it? A little girl. Fallen in love with my husband's money."

"No, miss. I don't care about money. I've never had it, so why would it matter to me now? I'm grateful that I am able to work for the help I receive. I'm grateful that I'm receiving help at all. I love Lucius for who he is, because I see a wonderful soul in him."

Now it was Lucius's turn to feel proud of his lover, he almost looked like a peacock, the way his chest was inflating, listening to Mina.

"You do realize that he's not seeing his son because of you? Are you fine with that?" Narcissa went on, still trying to guilt trip the girl into leaving Lucius.

"I don't think that's what's happening here, miss. You are keeping your son and Lucius apart. If I weren't here, he'd still wouldn't want to get back together and you'd find another reason to keep them apart. You hurt him a lot. And now you're using Draco as leverage and it's not working. I'm saddened about the situation, but I'm not stepping down unless Lucius would ask that of me. And if he would, I'd step down without a fuss, because I want him to be happy. Even if that's without me. If you truly love him, wouldn't you want the same?"

Narcissa opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again when she realized that she had no rebuttal for that statement. Then she narrowed her eyes, seemingly find the perfect argument to throw back into Mina's face.

"But no one is allowed to know, right? Of your little fling? I remember when I agreed to let Lucius court me, there was almost an entire parade to announce it. Has he announced your courtship to the world yet? Was it festive? Did you enjoy yourself?" She said smugly, again giving the girl the glance over.

Mina frowned and looked down, feeling very attacked and pushed into a corner. How was she going to respond to this? That small glimmer of hope melted like snow in the sun. But now Lucius stepped up.

"Next week. I'll hold a grand ball and tell the world of our love. Mina's mother will be invited, her brother will be invited and every other important person that I can think of. Except for you. I never want to see your face in my home again, Narcissa. And if that means that Draco will not be in my life, then so be it. But I will not yield! From my understanding, Lucy ran away from home. So I'm not the only one that's tired of your antics, am I?"

Narcissa visibly gasped at what Lucius said, asking herself how Lucius knew that Lucy ran off. Apparently he was keeping tabs on her as well. She felt that she no longer had a grip on her husband, since Draco was no longer leverage that he responded to. It was shocking that her actions were so transparent and useless. The fact brought angry tears to her eyes as she stared from one to the other.

"Miss, I'd be delighted to meet Draco, if he wants to visit Lucius. Maybe you can do something nice together, the three of you." Mina tried, since she wanted to mend any bridges Lucius may have burned.

Narcissa glared at Mina, stepped forward and slapped her across her face. "You filthy mudblood!" She shouted. Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Mina. "Stop it, Narcissa! How dare you!" The girl stood there, softly touching her painful cheek.

"Narcissa, leave this house. You are no longer welcome. It's been enough. Draco will find me. And he will respect my choices. He's a man now and he is in no position to tell his father how to live his life." Lucius said sternly, pulling her towards the fireplace.

After a struggle, Lucius managed to throw up some floo powder, sending Narcissa home. He sighed and turned to Mina, a frown on his face.

"Duckling, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked softly, regret and guilt across his face.

"Did you mean it? About having a grand ball for everyone?" She asked him, her eyes soft and scared.

Lucius hesitated a moment but then clenched his jaw with a stern face. "Yes, I did."

"Then I'm fine." Mina answered with a smile.


	21. Chapter 21 - Magic dance

Mina smiled as she saw her mother Sarah dance with one of the guests. The fact that he was a vampire did not seem to bother her in the least. Lucius smirked. "She is amusing herself, isn't she?" He commented, pointing in their direction with his wineglass in hand. Mina chuckled. "Yes, she is having a wonderful time. As am I. Thank you again for letting me invite her."

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Now, I want a dance as well." Lucius said smoothly, finishing his wine and setting the glass down before he took her hand in his. Mina smiled shyly and gladly allowed Lucius to twirl her around, to the rhythm of the music.

She was having the time of her life. Lucius kept his word and organized a ball as promised. Sarah was very happy to accept the invite, but she had declined Lucius's offer to give her money to go shopping. Despite the fact that her dress was a bit older, she looked stunning. She was wearing a deep purple dress that reached her ankles and left her shoulders bare. Ignoring her signature color, Mina went with a green dress, covered in little silver embellishments, to portray the Slyhterin colors. Her high heels were green and silver as well and to top it off, she wore the necklace that Lucius gifted her for her birthday. Clint wasn't present, he declined the offer since the crowd would be too big for his comfort. Narcissa wasn't present either, which made both Mina and Lucius rather happy.

Lucius and Mina finished their dance and Lucius picked up another glass of wine. He stood there, wand in hand and ready to tap his glass, so that he could make a toast and make the announcement.

Suddenly all the lamps and candles started to flicker, while a cold wind blew through the room. All the light dimmed to a minimum and the guests looked at each other with panicked faces. Lucius didn't know what to do so he looked at his staff for help. But they were just as shocked as he was. Mina frowned and waved her wand, turning the lights and the candles back on. As she did, they saw that there was a new figure standing in front of the fire place. A figure that hadn't been there before.

The figure threw off his cloak, glitter-like dust falling to the ground as he did. He narrowed his mismatched eyes at the crowd, that murmured about who he was and why he was here. A smirk played around his lips, basking in this awkward glory. Lucius suddenly recognized him.

"Jareth? From the Underground? The Goblin king? In my home!" He panted, very impressed.

"Lucius Malfoy." Jareth answered, tilting his head to take a good and condescending look at his host.

"How are you this fine evening?" He continued and extended a gloved hand, to shake the hand of Lucius.

Lucius eagerly accepted and cupped Jareth's hand in his own as he shook it. "Wonderful to see you, I have been wanting to invite you to one of my soiree's for some time now, but how does one send an owl to the Underground, right?" He asked the other with a nervous chuckle.

"I am not here by invitation, Lucius. I am here to…" Jareth answered, but was interrupted by Sarah, who was slowly walking towards them now.

"Jareth?! How…I…"

"Hello Sarah. Long time, no see."

Lucius seemed angered, impressed and extremely confused by the fact that the plain muggle Sarah knew someone as important as the Goblin King.

"That's it? You leave me for years after all that we have been through and you tell me 'Long time, no see?'" Sarah asked him, raising her voice as his casual words sparked her anger. Lucius got nervous, he did not like that his guests saw this display.

"Miss Harper…I mean…Sarah…" He started to say but changed his mind when Sarah glared at him for not using her first name like she told him to. "May I suggest that we enjoy our evening now and talk later? Once the guests leave?" Lucius continued, keeping his voice as silent as he could. Mina was just fidgeting with her hands, not sure what was going on exactly.

"What are you doing here, Sarah? With him?" Jareth asked her, ignoring both her words, as those of Lucius. Mina was surprised by his arrogance and also very intrigued. "We're not together, if that's what you think. But even if we were, it would be none of your business." Sarah answered him haughtily, also ignoring Lucius's question.

Jareth smirked, as if that fact pleased him. He extended his hand to Sarah and looked at her intently. As if she was hypnotized, she grabbed his and they started to dance. Exactly at that moment, the music had started up again, although the style of the music was very different than what they heard before. When Mina glanced at the musicians, she saw that they were not playing their instruments. The other guests started to talk amongst themselves again, as some joined the pair in a dance, unbothered by the question where the music came from. The crisis seemed averted for now and Lucius sighed in relief. He turned to Mina, to see if she could maybe tell him more.

"Duckling, do you know who he is? Or why your mother knows him?" He quietly asked her, leading her to the buffet, so the other guests wouldn't overhear them.

"No, I have no idea, she never told me about him." Mina answered, still looking at them wide-eyed. "But at the same time, he feels so familiar." She mused and poured herself a big glass of wine before taking a few big gulps.

"Tsk, tsk, duckling, not too much wine." Lucius chastised her, making her roll her eyes at him. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He asked her as he rose his brow. His voice still sounded delicate as always but the undertone was definitely one of a warning kind. Mina felt her knees get weak and she bit her lip. "No, sir." She said in a raspy voice and kissed his cheek.

Sarah and Jareth kept dancing and dancing, until the first guests started to leave. Soon the other guests followed their example and the manor was empty once more, except for Lucius, Mina, Sarah and Jareth. Lucius led them towards his study, so the staff would not hear their conversation.

"Mina, you are as beautiful as your mother." Jareth commented once Lucius closed the door behind them, smiling at her warmly. Mina eyed him unsure. "I eh…thank you. H-How do you know me?" She asked him in a small voice.

"Yes, Sarah, how do I know Mina?" Jareth asked the young woman, a sardonic smile playing around his lips. Sarah glared at him.

"How dare you." She asked him, her voice a mere whisper as the anger kept her from forming anything coherent.

"I am sure I don't know what you mean…" He said lazily and inspected the bookcase in the corner of Lucius's study.

Sarah shook her head and bit her lip to keep her anger inside. Mina tilted her head. "Mom? Please tell me what's going on?" Sarah looked at Mina and began to cry heavily. Mina was shocked and quickly grabbed her mom into a hug.

The cold demeanour that Jareth had melted when he saw Sarah's tears and a flash of pain and guilt was seen on his face. "Sarah…I.." He started but Sarah did not let him finish.

"No! You don't do this! You left me with her for all those years, after everything we shared and now you just waltz back into her life, into MY life and expect us all to bow to your will?! Fuck you!" She yelled at him a shrill voice and Mina gasped when her mom said the last part. She had known Sarah to be poised and in control of the situation. Jareth seemed as shocked as Mina.

"Why don't we all calm down, perhaps you'd like to move this into the living room, so we can sit down, Sarah?" Lucius asked her, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. Mina was surprised by how gentle and attentive he was being. An ugly thought rose that she could not quite turn away. _What if he is only doing this because of Jareth? Because he wants to make a good first impression?_

"No, thank you, I'm sorry for…" Sarah answered and bowed her head in shame. "Tsk, tsk, not at all." Lucius tsked and gave her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"I won't let you tell her, I won't." Sarah whispered to Jareth. "She has to know, Sarah." He replied, his eyes turning a little compelling as he frowned. Sarah sighed and turned to Mina.

"Mina, would you please sit down? I-I have to tell you something." She finally said and Mina nodded but didn't actually sit down. Lucius grabbed her hand and gently sat her down in his favourite chair, near the fireplace. Again Mina wondered why he was doing this. But what Sarah wanted to tell her had her full attention.

"Mina, I love you and…" Sarah started but soon cried again. "I have not been honest about…Clint is not…" She started sentence after sentence but was not able to finish any of them. Jareth cleared his throat.

"I can tell her with your approval, Sarah."

"Yes, please." Sarah replied and hid her face in the handkerchief. By now Mina was a wreck, all possible scenario's going through her head.

"Is Clint sick?" She asked Jareth in a trembling voice. Jareth gently caressed her cheek as he sat with her, on an armrest of the chair she sat in. "No, sweetling, your brother is just fine. Except that…he is not your full brother. You do not share the same father because…Mina..I am your father."

"You're my…father? But what about Bill?" The girl asked breathlessly. By now Sarah calmed down a little and took a deep breath.

"Bill is Clint's father. I got pregnant when I was 17 and felt forced to stay with him. Jareth appeared one night and…you were conceived." Sarah explained, her cheeks pink with shame. "After that Jareth and I did not see each other again and it seemed wiser to pretend you were fathered by Bill as well. I didn't want to make things more complicated after the divorce, so I didn't tell you then either. I am so sorry for lying to you, Mina."

"Why did you leave us?" Mina asked, frowning at Jareth. She wasn't upset with her mother, she was upset with the fae for impregnating her mother and then just disappearing from their lives. Jareth stood up and started to pace around.

"Your mother wished for my presence. Things between her and that scumbag were bad and she wanted out. I came when I was called but a crisis in the Underground demanded my attention after that. When I wanted to return I found out that I was unable to. Your mother told Bill that you were his and that kept me from visiting either of you. It was magic I had no control over." He explained.

He seemed genuinely upset over this fact and looked at Sarah with a disapproving look. "Why, Sarah? Why did you tell him that? She was mine!"

Sarah was upset as well, she had no idea what consequences her words had. "I-I couldn't explain to him that we…he would have beaten her out of me." She said and again bowed her head in shame.

"Wait…then how come you were able to visit now?" Mina asked, wondering what had lifted the magical constraint.

Jareth swallowed hard before answering. "He died. In his sleep, last night. And with him no longer around, the magical boundary was lifted. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. I am sure Clint will be upset."

"We should tell him…oh no, he'll hate me even more…" Sarah thought out loud but Mina took her hand. "Mom, I'll tell him, it will be okay. I'm not mad at you either." Sarah sighed in relief and hugged Mina tightly. "You are such a good girl." She whispered as she nuzzled her daughter's hair.

Until now Lucius kept quiet, giving the family the room to sort this out. Now he felt the need to interject. "Forgive me, perhaps you'd like to find yourself a room to get comfortable? Sarah is already a guest here for the next few days, maybe you'd like to stay as well and get settled in?" He asked the Goblin king with obvious hope in his voice.

"Yes, thank you, Lucius, that would be wonderful." Jareth stated and gave Lucius a small bow of gratitude.

Sarah let go of Mina and wiped away the last tears. "Come on, I will show you to the room." She mumbled and led him out of the study.

"Well, this sure was unexpected. Are you quite alright, duckling?" He asked Mina and chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, it's just so weird…Clint not being my full brother…I hope it won't hurt him too much." Mina mused, but it was like Lucius never heard her.

"Wait till the wizard community hears this! The daughter of the Goblin king! The heir of the Goblin king! That will show them!" He rambled on, laughing like a madman, almost.

"I thought we had to keep it hush-hush?" Mina asked him, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yes, well, that was before I knew this! Now it doesn't matter if they'll know, you're no longer muggleborn, are you? You're royalty!" Lucius asked happily and got up from his seat. "I'll go and alert the staff that we have an extra guest tonight!"

Mina stared at him, not responding to what he just said. She felt her heart break but kept up her fake smile.

"Yes, please do. Wonderful." Lucius missed the venomous tone in her voice.

"HE'S WHAT?!" They heard Jareth shout from the other room, next they heard Sarah trying to calm him down and keep him from making a scene.

Apparently she failed, cause Jareth strode right back into the room, Sarah close behind him. "Jareth, please! You don't understand, just calm down!"

But Jareth didn't calm down, he grabbed Lucius's throat and slammed him into the wall with force. When Lucius tried to reach for his wand, Jareth quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing the man to cry out in pain.

"Dad, stop!" Mina said loudly, trying to pull Jareth's arm away. When the goblin king glared at her, she stopped and stepped back. Never had she seen anyone so angry.

"Sit. Down." Jareth ordered her and both Sarah and Mina sat down, without questioning him. He turned back to Lucius, still trying to squirm away from him. "Are you defiling my daughter?" The king asked him, in a tone that was so eerily calm, Lucius swallowed hard in fear.

"I-I love her and…I-I…"

"ARE YOU…." Jareth repeated, shouting this time, "DEFILING MY DAUGHTER?!"

"Dad?

Jareth looked back at Mina, who stood up and put her hand on his arm. "Dad, please stop? I can explain it. But only if you sit down with me. And let go of Lucius."

Jareth frowned and let Lucius go, adjusting his clothes while clearing his throat awkwardly. "She's like you, Sarah." He said calmly, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"How so?" Sarah asked, a tremble in her voice. "I can't say no to her." Jareth replied. Lucius let out an awkward chuckle. "I said the same thing to Sarah, a while back." He said softly, his voice a bit hoarse from the attack. Jareth was ready to grab him again, but Mina pulled him back.

"Stop it! Sit down!" She said sternly. The goblin king eyed her in surprise and then eyed Sarah. "There's a little bit if you in there as well, I think." Sarah said dryly, winking at Mina.

"You called me 'dad'." Jareth said to Mina, touched by this fact. "You are my dad." Mina reminded him, giving him a weak smile. "And yes, Lucius and I are together. But I love him very much and mom knew from the beginning, so he never did anything behind anyone's back…" She explained, but Jareth interjected, looking at Sarah.

"You knew?! How could you let this happen?!"

"Jareth…it's love. Who are we to forbid it?" Sarah asked. Jareth hummed annoyed. "Fine. I'll allow it."

"Thanks, dad."


	22. Chapter 22 - As the world falls down

The next day, they group had breakfast together in the green house, hoping they'd catch Clint before he heard anything from the staff. The garden sure looked a lot better than before Clint started, although not a lot of plants were in bloom yet. Of course it was mid-December, so this wasn't strange.

Clint started his day around 11 'o clock and on the dot, he appeared. He frowned a little when he saw the lot together in the green house, a strange man sitting with them.

"Hey….is everyone alright?" He asked reluctantly. He had never been good at working through bad news. "Clint, why don't you sit down with us, for a moment?" Sarah asked and stood up, so Clint could take her chair.

"I'd rather stand." He said shortly, narrowing his eyes at the group. "I'll leave you to it for a moment, this is a family affair." Lucius said delicately and stood up too. Both Mina and Jareth pulled him back into his seat and Clint was even more confused with the situation.

"I'll tell him. Clint…I…love you." Mina started bravely, but her voice was soon a mere whisper as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Call the newspaper. My sister loves me." Clint replied in a dry tone and Mina rushed to his side to punch his arm. "Ouch! You're crazy, you know that?" Clint protested, rubbing the sore spot with his hand.

"Can you just be serious for a second?!" Mina yelled and turned around with a sigh, pacing back and forth. "Somebody better say something, cause I'm sick of this." The young man said in an annoyed tone.

Jareth stood up and walked up to Clint, putting a hand on his shoulder. "The fuck are you?" He asked and tried to shake the hand off. But Jareth persisted. "Clint, I am Jareth, the Goblin king from the Underground. I am also Mina's father. I'm sorry to spring this on you. But we wanted you to hear it from us and not the help. I arrived here last night."

Clint looked at Mina, despair clear in his eyes. He was usually a cold person, mostly because of the bad relationship with his father, but he loved Mina dearly. Mina started to cry and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Clint, I don't love you less, you're my brother and nothing will change that." Mina said between sobs. Clint just nodded as he cried as well. Then he let her go and glared at Sarah.

"So you lied to us? For all these years? Why? Why did you sleep with this bozo? And why is he here now?" He fired question after question.

"Clint please, I-I.." Sarah said weakly, but Mina meddled, punching Clint in the arm again. "Ouch! You have to stop doing that." He protested again but Mina glared. "Just stop it! Don't always blame mom for stuff, ok? Bill was bad news! He never wanted us! Jareth is very happy that's he's finally here! Mom told Bill that I was his and that's why he wasn't able to visit, cause of some weird magic wish thingy." Mina quickly explained.

"Delicate." Jareth stated, in a wry tone. "Hmm." Sarah agreed with a hum.

"Ok, so why are you here now?" Clint asked, eyeing Jareth up and down. A silence fell. "Why are you here now?" Clint asked again, annoyed to the fullest.

"Bill died in his sleep , Clint. That's why the spell was broken. He was no longer here to keep up the magic bond." Sarah clarified, holding out her arms to console Clint. At first, the look on Clint's face was horrified, there was anger, guilt, grief. Sarah was afraid that Clint would blame her again, but he accepted her arms and cried on her shoulder. "There, there, it's over now, Clint. No more waiting, no more hoping. We love you very much." She said softly, patting his back and his hair. "I love you, mom, I'm so sorry for everything." Clint murmured. Mina rubbed his back. "We love you, Clint, no need for apologies." Sarah whispered.

Once he calmed down a bit, they finally sat down. Jareth cleared his throat. "Clint, I do not wish to overstep, I understand this is a lot to take in. But I am sure there is enough love in my heart for both you and Mina. I'm sorry this situation developed this way."

"Gimme some time, 'kay?" Clint replied, in his usual short manner. "Of course." Jareth agreed.

Sarah was afraid that Clint was going to need a lot of time to adjust to this situation, but when Lucius proposed to extend their breakfast into brunch to include Clint, he warmed up to Jareth very soon. Of course it helped that the goblin king had a million stories to tell about his kingdom and the goblins living there.

"So you're the king there? That must get boring, how do you know our mom?" Clint asked curiously. Sarah blushed. Jareth avoided eye contact. Then he looked back at Clint, who sat there confused.

"I am king ,yes. But I have another purpose. Some mortal children, they wish away their sibling, or any other child. When they do, I come to collect the child and give them a chance to solve my Labyrinth within a set time limit. If they succeed, they earn back their sibling, if they do not then the sibling is turned into a goblin. Sarah wished away her little brother when she was fifteen. She solved my Labyrinth and I always had a weak spot for her after that.

"For a fifteen year old? You fucking pervert!" Clint said plainly, seeming angry. Lucius couldn't help but to let out a little chuckle. "Clint!" Both Mina and Sarah cried out but Clint shot up from his seat.

"Yes, preying on a seventeen year old is far more honourable." Jareth replied wryly, making Lucius glare at him. "The laws in the Underground are very different than here, Clint." Jareth went on, hoping Clint would understand.

"Yeah, we don't steal babies here. And mom, you wanted to get rid of uncle Toby? How could you!" Clint replied, he couldn't believe they were all stepping over this so easily. Although Mina seemed a bit uneasy now as well.

"Look here, young man, you are not the first one questioning me like this and you'll surely won't be the last!" Jareth now said, angrily. "But I'll tell you this. Before you make me out to be the villain here, ask yourself this: are the ones wishing away their siblings any better?"

Clint had no answer for him, he just shifted in his seat a bit. "You're right, I'm sorry." He finally mumbled and Jareth nodded, happy this was over with.

"Jareth threw a wonderful ball in my honor, I still remember it as if it was yesterday." Sarah told Clint and Mina, clearly excited at the memory. "I remember it too, you looked beautiful." Jareth stated, staring at her lovingly.

Clint and Mina exchanged looks and nodded, as if they decided something. "Clint, help me bring the dishes to the kitchen?" Mina asked him casually and started to load the dishes onto the trays. "Sure, sure." Clint agreed and took one of the trays as they walked into the house together.

"You see it too, right? They're still in love. We have to get them back together!" Mina started, as soon as they were out of earshot. "Yeah, I see it, but Mina, we barely know this guy! And from what I hear….he's praying on young girls and stealing babies!"

Mina gave him a look and Clint let out a huff. "Like you'd understand, Lucius isn't better one bit!" Clint said exasperated. "Is not! Just stop and do this with me, okay? If it's not meant to be, then it won't succeed anyway."

"You know they're up to something, right?" Jareth asked Sarah in the meantime. Sarah let out a short laugh. "Oh definitely. Those two have never been good at sneaking around."

"So. You met Sarah when she was fifteen years old." Lucius asked Jareth innocently, obviously amused by this little fact. Jareth narrowed his eyes at him.

"Let's just keep it to the fact that mother and daughter both have a taste for specific men." He responded a little prickly.

"I do have Mina's best interest in mind, your majesty. I do care for her, very much." Lucius stated, sounding rather serious now. "You may call me 'Jareth'." The king replied, still a little cold, but warmer than before.

"How's Hoggle?" Sarah suddenly asked, perking up at the thought. "I just remembered him now, that's so strange."

Jareth smiled. "He's fine. He's my advisor. He and his wife live near the palace. I offered him a room in the palace, but he declined." Sarah chuckled and clapped her hands in excitement. "That's Hoggle. Wait, he has a wife?"

"Oh yes." Jareth replied and smiled wide. "Met her at a soiree of mine. They fell in love instantly. I knew they would, that is why I invited them both."

"I wish I…" Sarah started but Jareth held out his hand in a warning matter. "Don't. Sarah, I never told you this, but you are not entirely without magic. I gifted you some of my magic when you bested me with Toby. That is probably why Clint and Mina are born with it as well. Be very careful what you wish for, especially when I'm here with you. Before we know it, I'll be banished back to the Underground again without any way of coming back."

Sarah processed this, as did Lucius. Lucius seemed very excited at the thought of Sarah not being a muggle. That would make Mina a pureblood witch. Sarah was just thinking of how to phrase her thoughts to Jareth. Then she smiled.

"I was going to say that I would very much enjoy to see your palace again. I spent so little time in it last time." She said sweetly and Jareth seemed touched. "I'm sure I could arrange a visit." He said carefully, but leaned in when Sarah did the same.

Just as Clint and Mina came back into the green house with their grand master plan, the two shared a loving kiss. Mina let out a little 'Squee!' as she saw it, causing them to pull back, a little shocked.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I forgot where I was for a moment! Lucius.." Sarah said apologetically, but Lucius held up his hand with a smile. "No worries, I suggest we go for a stroll in the gardens, so we can celebrate love and family."

"Am I invited?" A voice asked. Lucius turned his head and his jaw dropped. "Draco!" The young man flew into Lucius's arms, hugging him tightly. "Father! I'm sorry! Mother didn't want me to…" He started to say but Lucius hushed him. "Ssh, that's not important. You're here now. I missed you, son."

"Lucius's son didn't want contact after he divorced his wife." Mina quietly explained to Jareth. Suddenly, the gobling king seemed a lot more sympathetic towards him.

Draco was released from his hug and then turned to the group. "So it's true? You do have a new family?" He asked, sounding a little accusatory.

"Draco, there's always room in my life for you, you are the most important thing in my life." Lucius assured him and Sarah smiled at the boy.

"We wouldn't want to impose on your time with your father, Draco, is it? Hello, I'm Sarah. These are my kids, Clint and Mina. And this is Jareth, the goblin king. He's Mina's…." Sarah introduced them all, but Jareth interjected. "I'm their father." He stated, wanting Clint to feel included. Clint smiled and Jareth slapped him on his back with a wink.

"Mother said that you didn't want to see me anymore. Cause you had a new girlfriend. I had to promise her that I wouldn't visit you, but I couldn't believe it." Draco said carefully, still eyeing them all in reluctance. Lucius took a deep breath, but didn't speak right away. He didn't want to make Narcissa look bad. Mina talked some sense into him after last time.

"Son, I think your mother had other expectations and she was shocked to find things differently. I am sorry if I caused her more hurt, but I moved on. From your mother, never from you." Lucius explained and Mina seemed proud at how calm he was being.

"I guess that's fair. Well, okay, I hope you and my father are happy." Draco said as he extended his hand to Sarah. Sarah shook it but stammered a bit.

"Eh, son, while miss Harper is very charming…she is not the one that I am courting." Lucius informed Draco, a little tense.

Draco turned around to his father with a frown. "She's not? But mother said…" Mina stepped forward and shook Draco's hand as well. "It's me. Hey, nice to meet you."

Draco pulled his hand back and made a disgusted sound. "Son!" Lucius hissed, embarrassed for how his son was acting. "Father, that's gross! How old are you?" He demanded to know, turning to Mina.

"Seventeen." Mina whispered. "I'm older than you! Father, I'm older than her!" Draco exclaimed, glaring at them both. "Draco, I know, I know, but I'm fond of her and she's royal! This is her father, Jareth, he's king of the Underground!"

Draco needed a little time to get used to the idea, but finally mumbled some sort of agreement. Neither of them saw the hurt in Mina's eyes.


	23. Chapter 23 - Reunited, it feels so good?

A series of difficult conversation had to be held between our heroes.

 _Malfoy Manor, near the fireplace_

Lucius and Draco sat across from each other. Alone. The silence was deafening. Draco opened his mouth to speak at the same time Lucius did and they both stopped before forming the first word. Lucius cleared his throat, the stillness becoming more awkward with each passing second.

"You look well, son." Lucius finally stated, not knowing what else to say.

"Thank you, father." Draco replied, his voice thick with the obvious anger that was wasn't speaking of. Suddenly it seemed like he got angry. Angry at all the things he was never able to say. All of the times that he hadn't been good enough. All of it came pouring out and Draco no longer cared what Lucius thought.

"You've put me down for years!" He shouted, standing up from his chair and pacing around. "I had to better than Granger, cause she was a mudblood! I had to befriend Harry Potter, then I had to betray Harry Potter! You let that vile murderer into our home for months! I had to kill Dumbledore and I was alone, none of you helped me! You never tried to find me for months on end, while you're screwing a seventeen year old and all you can say is that I look well?!" By now tears streamed down Draco's face, all of his pain was out in the open now.

"I made so many mistakes, Draco." Lucius said softly, looking away from his son in shame. "I was afraid of Voldemort. Afraid that he'd kill us, or do something worse. I should have known better. I should have been better for you. But I did tried to find you. I tried every day. But at some point I figured that maybe you didn't want to be found and I stopped. But you were never out of my thoughts."

"Mother said that she kept asking you to come over, but you kept saying no…" He said, genuinely surprised at hearing this. Lucius frowned. His wife had been more malevolent than he thought. How could she hold such a grudge against him? No, that was wrong to say. He understood why. He didn't understand that she was using Draco to get back at him.

"Son, your mother is hurt. For the same reason that you are hurt, because I was a bad father and a bad husband. I cannot rewrite history, I can only learn and move on. Mina is a great help in that. I truly hope that you will learn to appreciate her, as I do. But she was very clear. If you disapprove of her, then she will step back."

"She will?" Draco asked, sitting down again. He was still confused by everything Lucius told him.

"Yes, she will. She doesn't want to impose. Son, I should have been more proud of you. You did so well at Hogwarts. What are you doing these days?"

Draco fell silent. "I-I'm not working. I'm not really sure…what I should do." He said softly, he wasn't used to choosing things himself, he was used to Lucius telling him what he should pick.

"Well, I can help you figure it out, son. If that's what you want." Lucius offered. Draco cracked a weak smile. "Yes, please. Mother can't know. She doesn't know I'm here."

"I won't tell her, son. I promise."

 _Hogwarts, Ravenclaw common room_

"Minnie, are you okay?" Clint asked as he sat down across from Mina, frowning at her.

He escorted Mina back to school, so Lucius and Draco could talk. Also because needed to pick up some belongings, to stay at the manor longer. It was Christmas holiday, so school wasn't an issue at the moment. But she hadn't exactly been keeping up with her homework and her assignments.

"No. I'm not." She simply said, giving him an empty stare. Clint felt uncomfortable. It was as if Mina was mad at him, for some reason.

"What's wrong?" He asked, tilting his head at her. "Just tell me, I can tell you're mad at me."

"Promise you won't run off again and stay away for months?" She asked him dryly, in return. For a moment, he glared at her but then his look softened when he realized she had a point.

"I promise."

"Good. What Draco did to Lucius….it's what you did to me. To mom. And I'm pissed at you. You put us through hell. You did what Bill did. You're not like him, you're better than him. Stop acting like him."

Mina sounded so plain, so determined, that Clint didn't dare to against her. He seemed uncomfortable for a few moments, when he tried to find a good way to respond.

"Mom blamed him for…" He started but Mina interjected. "No. It was Bill's fault. He drank. He cheated. He beat her. He beat us. Thank you, next." She simply said, still looking at him with a certain deadness behind her eyes.

"Mina, come on…" Clint answered, averting his gaze. "What? I have to go easy on him? On you? He was never easy on us. He didn't want us. Mom has the love of her life back all of a sudden. You're not going to screw that up for her, you hear me?" Mina fired back, not in the mood for excuses.

"So Malfoy didn't announce it, huh? About you two?" He asked her out of the blue. She blinked surprised, tears welling up in her eyes. How did Clint know that was what was really bothering her?

"No." She answered, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "But Jareth showed up and…he was about to do it…" She weakly protested, but Clint shook his head.

"That's not good enough, Mina. He needs to show you, for you. Not hide you. What if I got a boyfriend and he wanted to hide me? You'd have none of it, I'm sure."

"That's true…" Mina said with a sigh and hid her face in her hands as she softly started to cry. Clint got up and pulled her into a hug. "He doesn't love me, Clint. He just doesn't love me…" She sobbed as Clint patted her back.

As much as he wanted to, Clint wasn't able to tell her that Lucius did love her. He just wasn't sure. Carla heard Mina crying and entered the room, promising Clint that she'd take care of her friend, so he could go back home. Clint thanked her and went on his way, a knot in his stomach. Where was this going to? This couldn't end well.

 _Sarah's cottage_

To give Lucius and Draco some space, Sarah promised Lucius that she would show Jareth her cottage and stay for the night. The next day they would all return to the manor, but for now it was best to keep their distance and let father and son sort it out on their own.

"So this is where you live…" Jareth stated, looking around the cottage a little disgusted. Sarah gave him a look and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Does his majesty have a problem with his quarters?" She asked him, a little snarky.

Jareth stared at her disapprovingly. "You're still that fifteen year old brat that…" He started his sentence, but Sarah interrupted him.

"That beat you at your own game?" She asked.

"That broke my heart." Jareth corrected her, sound accusatory. He narrowed his eyes at her when she didn't reply, but just stared at him with her big eyes.

"I was fifteen, Jareth. I was a girl." Sarah softly replied, blinking as she felt the tears well up in her eyes.

"Not when I returned. You were eighteen when that happened. And you were more than welcoming." Jareth retorted, as he walked circles in her living room, getting more and more agitated with the minute.

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, red spots appearing in her neck and face as she averted her gaze.

"Too direct for you, hm? You knew you had my heart from the moment I laid eyes on you. You toyed with me, you used me."

"Why are you talking to me like this? At the manor you were so loving…" Sarah murmured, dashing into the kitchen to make some tea. Jareth sighed as he followed her.

"Your daughter made a silent wish that I would kiss you. She has more power than she knows." He explained. It was a little white lie. Mina's wish had nothing to do with the kiss, despite Jareth hearing her thoughts.

"So you didn't want to kiss me?" Sarah asked, filling up her kettle with some water and putting out some tea cups and the tea pot. Jareth grabbed her wrist and made her turn around, to face him.

"I always want to kiss you." He said clear and firm, before crashing his mouth onto hers, with passion. At first Sarah tried to wriggle away, but soon melted against him, lost in the moment. When he broke the kiss, Sarah gasped audibly, making him smirk.

"I want to kiss you, but you're not right for me. It's not like you truly care." He said, looking deep into her eyes. "I do care, Jareth. I was too young then. I'm not young anymore. Maybe that's not good enough for you." Sarah fired back, staring back him without fear.

He bared his teeth at her, causing Sarah to melt even more. That wolfish grin, his jagged teeth, they'd never been far from her mind, even during her best weeks with Bill.

"Shall I make up the couch, for his highness?" Sarah teased, once she sounded coherent again. "Or do you want your daughters bed? I won't suggest my bed, I wouldn't want you to feel used or forced to anything." She went on and Jareth growled, crashing his mouth onto hers again.

Never breaking the kiss, he moved Sarah against the wall, pawing at her clothes to take them off. To oblige, Sarah wriggled herself out of her clothes, standing before him in her underwear. Jareth kneaded her breast with his gloved hand, still hungrily demanding her mouth with his own. He moved to her neck, licking and sucking the skin there as he now slid out of his own clothes. It was strange to see his royal clothing on Sarah's simple floor, covered with her own.

"Your room." Jareth demanded. "Or would you like to be bent over your counter instead?"

"I wouldn't be against it." Sarah panted, needing him more and more.

"Your bed, now!" Jareth grunted, ripping off Sarah's bra and panties. Sarah squirmed from his grasp and ran off, the Goblin king close behind her. She ran into her bedroom and gasped when Jareth pushed her onto her bed, crawling over her like a predator ready to devour his prey.

He used his magic to make two scarves appear in his hands and he quickly tied her hands to the bed, grinning at her. Sarah stared up at him, even more aroused than before.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson, Sarah…of delayed gratification…" Jareth purred against her neck, sucking the skin there afterwards. Sarah gasped and her body spasmed underneath the sensations she felt.

"But why, I never did this to you.." She weakly protested, but Jareth chuckled. "Oh you did this to me and more. And now I'm going to get my revenge." He said in an ominous tone.

His mouth found its way to one of her nipples and he bit it before sucking it, covering it in saliva with his tongue. Sarah moaned and fought against her restraints, but to no use. She was probably bound with magic, she thought.

Jareth's mouth went further down, circling her bellybutton with his tongue before reaching her womanhood. The woman shuddered underneath him, needing him more and more. His tongue found the sensitive nub between her slick folds and Sarah cried out in pleasure. The warm tongue moved faster and faster, driving her more and more crazy with each passing second. Then, ready to fall into an abyss of pleasure and completion, Sarah closer her eyes on the very peak of her orgasm. But the intense feeling disappeared. Her moans of pleasure turned to frustration, when she realized Jareth had ceased his actions and she opened her eyes, staring at him in desperation and need.

"N-No, please, please, don't stop, please let me peak!" Sarah murmured desperately, shaking in her bonds.

Jareth smirked smugly, teasing a nipple between his fingers.

"Oh Sarah….you are going to beg me all night long." He warned her and his mouth crashed onto her womanhood again, repeating this process over and over and over.


	24. Chapter 24 - Christmas was a friend

Soon, Christmas came around. Usually Mina was excited for these days, but this year she felt conflicted. There was so much going on, she was torn between feeling utterly happy and content with Lucius and feeling scared to lose him or doubt if he truly cared. On Christmas morning, she woke from her bed at the manor and put on her fuzzy slippers before going downstairs. Her mother and Jareth were sitting near the fire, quietly talking. Lucius was busy filling a large table with plates and food.

"Good morning, duckling, how are you? Did you sleep well?" He asked her with a smile, looking a little confused at her pyjama's. "You're not dressed."

Quickly, Mina pecked his cheek, when she was sure none of the staff were around and she chuckled. "We always spend Christmas morning in our pyjama's at mom's place." She explained. Lucius was about to answer, when Clint moseyed into the room, wearing the exact pair of pyjama's and fuzzy slippers.

"I see." Lucius answered, a little amused. "Is it ok? Should I dress myself?" Clint asked, feeling a little awkward. "Not at all, mister Barton." Lucius answered. "Feel free to enjoy yourself, you are a guest now and not a staff member."

"Should we ask them to eat with us? The staff, I mean?" Mina asked Lucius and noticed how strange he thought this was. "They work so hard, they might appreciate it." She explained herself.

"I gave them the rest of the week off, duckling, I thought they wanted to spend time with their own families." Lucius stated, seeing Mina perk up with pride. He started to learn, that his staff consisted of people and not usable objects. He wanted to do better. Be better.

"Wait, you did all of this yourself?" Mina asked him surprised, as she walked over to the table and gawked at all the food that was spread across the table. Lucius laughed. "A catering company." He said softly, with a wink. Mina smiled. Despite the catering company, she really appreciated the fact that Lucius made such a big deal out of this. She was happy that her mom was part of it, with a lover of her own even.

They sat at the table and lifted their cups of coffee as a toast. Jareth stood up and cleared his throat. "Lucius, first of all, thank you for your hospitality. I am humbled and honoured that I am welcomed like this by you and Sarah's family, my family. I hope your son will join us, so we will be complete." He spoke, looking at Lucius and the others.

A hint of sadness flashed on Lucius's face. When Draco left last time, Lucius asked him to please drop by again soon. But Draco wasn't able to tell him where and when. Jareth opened his mouth to continue his speech, but there was knocking at the door.

Lucius did not get up, he just looked around for a moment. Mina let out an exasperated sigh but then winked at him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Not used to getting the door yourself?" She teased and Lucius smirked at her. "Open the door, miss Harper." He said, pretending to be cold.

Mina chuckled some and opened the door, her smile evaporating when she saw Narcissa and a very unhappy-looking Draco behind her. "Narcissa! Eh…come in, come in…" The girl stammered, stepping back to let them in. She was surprised and felt her stomach turn into a knot. Was she here to mess this all up? Did she find out that Draco had been sneaking over here? Why didn't they come by floo?

Narcissa gave Mina a disapproving look as she walked past her without responding to her words. Mina eyed Draco unsure, but was careful not to greet him as if they met before. She didn't want to get him in trouble.

"Narcissa." Lucius said in a tired tone, when he saw who was at the door. For a moment, Narcissa seemed hurt but quickly recovered.

"Lucius. I thought it would be good for you to see your son again. It being Christmas and all." She stated, seeming very smug with her 'grand gesture'. Lucius got teary-eyed and opened his arms. "Son, it's so good to see you. Do you have a hug for your old man?" He asked him softly. Draco rushed towards him and held him tight. Despite the difficult matters they discussed earlier, Lucius could feel that Draco was happy to see him. But in the back of his mind, he knew that Narcissa was still up to something.

"Well, it seems your father wasn't prepared for our little visit, Draco, look at all these new people sitting around the table." Narcissa remarked innocently, smiling at them all. Now Mina and Lucius understood. She brought Draco here to see them all, so he'd hate his father for having a 'new' family. Plan A hadn't worked, that was to try and get Draco to deny Lucius. Now it was time for plan B, make Draco hate him for having new people in his life.

"No, I am happily surprised to see you both, do sit down. Draco, I'd like you to meet Sarah and Jareth, this is their son Clint, he's my gardener. And this is their daughter Mina, my new….lover." Lucius told Draco, hesitating a little at that last part, but he knew he had no choice. If he wouldn't say it, Narcissa would. Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the display, it seemed like her plan B was failing too, as Draco went around the table shaking hands with everyone. They all beautifully pretended never to have seen Draco before, Lucius thought with pride.

"Sit down too, Narcissa." Lucius urged his wife with a fake smile as the rest made room for them at the table. It was difficult to pretend like this, but if he didn't want her to freak out, he had to play along. With a face like an earwig, Narcissa sat down and accepted a cup of coffee from Jareth.

"Father, sorry for barging in.." Draco started to say, but Lucius held up his hand as he sat down as well. "Nonsense, it's great to see you. Especially around Christmas. I missed you, son."

Soon, the conversations started back up again, Clint was explaining to Draco what he was planting in the garden and how he was getting rid of those pesky flobberworms in the garden. "It's looking good, even though there's not much in bloom at the moment." He stated, feeling proud of his work.

"I haven't seen it in ages, will you take me there after breakfast?" Draco asked eagerly, to Narcissa's dismay. "We won't have time." She quickly said but Draco protested. "Why not, mother? You said we'd be here all day. Haven't you discussed it with father? You said you did."

Ah. So that was how she played it, Lucius thought. "Oh, but she did, Draco, I thought it was tomorrow instead of today." He quickly protected Narcissa. Now Narcissa seemed confused, but a little thankful. Mina hatched a plan as she saw them getting along.

As Draco and Clint finished up to go outside, Clint stopped in his tracks. He looked down and saw he was in his PJ's and laughed. "I'll get dressed, just a moment." He promised Draco and disappeared to one of the guest rooms.

"Ehm, Lucius?" Mina quietly asked the man, smiling sweetly when he looked her way. "I know that look." Lucius replied with an amused smile. "What can I do for you, duckling?"

Narcissa scoffed when she heard the nickname that Lucius had picked for her and for a moment, Mina wasn't sure if she would go through with this. But she cleared her throat and did her best to ignore the bitter woman.

"I think it might be nice to invite professor Snape. He doesn't have any family and probably…." She started to say, but stopped in time before voicing her thought that he probably didn't have friends either. "…and probably appreciate the invite. Shall I send an owl his way?"

Lucius smiled at her. "So sweet of you, duckling, please do."

Mina nodded, happy that her plan was working for now and she excused herself to go and dress herself and send an owl Severus's way. Meanwhile Clint and Draco disappeared into the gardens.

"Draco seems like a lovely young man, Narcissa. I'm glad to see him and Lucius reunite." Sarah said kindly, trying to set a more kind tone.

"Yes, I'm sure you are." Narcissa said, evidently rather annoyed with having to talk to Sarah at all. Jareth noticed this and rose a brow. "Is something the matter, my lady? Wasn't this what you wanted? A father and son reunited?" He asked her casually. Narcissa just shot him a glare and sipped from her coffee.

Some more difficult moments later, Severus suddenly appeared in the fireplace, almost falling over himself to reach them.

"Lucius! Where….what….are you having breakfast?" He asked, panting, holding a suitcase with some belongings. "Why yes, Severus, we are. Sit down, sit down, would you like some coffee? I hope you're hungry." Lucius answered, seeming more jolly by the second. Mina cleared her throat.

"Eh…hello professor. I….asked you to come." She explained, sitting back at the table as well. "You? But I got a letter from Lucius that there was an emergency!" Severus protested, putting his suitcase down with a loud thud. Lucius looked at Mina, who blushed heavily.

"I figured that you might not come if we said it was because of Christmas…" She weakly stated, but then she sounded more firm. "While you're here, you might as well stay, right? At least for a few days? Here, sit down, sir." The girl added as she stood up, pulling out the chair next to Narcissa.

With a dark look, Severus swept some soot from his cloak and sat down, greeting Narcissa with a small nod. "Severus." Narcissa said shortly, to return the greeting.

"Here you are, a nice cup of coffee. Did you meet my mom?" Mina said, getting back into her excitement. Sarah smiled and stood up, shaking Severus's hand before sitting down again. "Nice to meet you, I'm Sarah Harper. This is Jareth, he's Mina's and Clint's father." She introduced them. "Clint is in the garden, showing Draco around." Jareth stood up as well and also shook hands With professor Snape.

"Nice to meet you all, Mina's father, you say? I didn't know that…" He started, feeling rather uncomfortable over all the snide remarks he made about her family.

"We recently met." Jareth said, diplomatic as always.

"And young mister Barton is here?" Snape asked, he remembered teaching Clint before he graduated from Hogwarts. "That must have been two years since I saw him. He's doing well?"

"Oh, yes, he's doing well. Has his own little gardening thing going at the moment." Sarah told him proudly. "Gardening?" Severus asked, with amazement in his voice. "Hm, I see. I'd expected a more magical profession. But we all can't be the same."

"No, we need those ruffians doing the dirty work, don't we?" Narcissa remarked, sounding snide. Immediately the atmosphere plummeted again and Mina started to get agitated with the woman. By how annoyed Lucius was looking, Mina figured he felt the same.

"I wouldn't put it like that. I'd be interested in hiring Clint for a few hours a week. My garden is rather messy, I have little time to do it myself." Severus calmly stated, looking at Sarah.

"I have no idea of his schedule, you'd have to ask him, professor Snape." She said warmly. "I'll do that, thank you. And please, call me Severus." He replied. Mina felt her plan failing.

"You have a wonderful dress, Narcissa. Doesn't she like nice, professor?" Mina remarked, doing her best to sound innocent. Naricssa frowned as she looked from her long black dress to Severus. But then she blushed a little when she saw the small smile playing around his lips.

"She does. You look lovely, Narcissa." He said quietly, a hint of redness playing on his cheeks as well. Mina was beaming in her seat and didn't even see how annoyed Lucius was, all of a sudden.

"How about we go and see how our boys are doing in that garden?" Sarah suddenly asked the group, standing up. The rest of the group agreed and they headed towards the garden. As Clint said, it looked nice and kept but a little empty without any flowers or plants in bloom at the moment. The maze looked as green as ever, but that was powerful magic keeping it like that. Lucius enchanted it when he realized he wanted it to stay as it was, so the memory of Draco would remain strong.

They found Draco and Clint near the pond and Draco was looking better than ever. A blush of the cold air was formed on his cheeks and he was on his knees, looking at all the life that was living in the pond, not bothered by his robes getting dirty. Strangely, Narcissa didn't comment on it, since she was engaged in a conversation with Severus. When Draco looked up at them, he smiled.

"Father, I want to be a gardener like Clint! This really is amazing, look at how the pond is looking!" He said in an enthusiastic manner. Lucius gave him a small smile. "A gardener? Surely you can…." He started, but felt all kinds of looks coming his way, due to the disapproving tone of his voice. Even Draco's enthusiasm seemed curbed. "….surely you can ask mister Barton to teach you a thing or two?" Lucius finished his question, hoping he sounded convincing.

"No problem, sir, I'll gladly show Draco my routine." Clint offered. He had been so in the moment, happy about the boy's fervour that he hadn't noticed any disapproval. He was used to Sarah being proud of him no matter what he did, so it didn't even occur to him that Lucius wasn't happy with the situation.

But Mina did notice.


	25. Chapter 25 - Sweet-talk is silver

"How could you?! You are sabotaging me on purpose!" Lucius exclaimed, pointing his cane at Mina. "You're fucking crazy, you know that?!" She fired back, pacing around. The two had been fighting from the moment their guests left after New Year's day. Luckily none of them knew that they had been angry with each other, since there had been enough distractions. But now those were gone and they were left with their struggles.

"First you invite someone for my wife to fall in love with and then you coerce my son into manual labour!" Lucius growled, also starting to pace. Fortunately for them, Lucius had a large bedroom, otherwise all this pacing would have been difficult.

Mina blushed at Lucius's words, she had hoped he hadn't caught on to her plan to couple Severus and Narcissa. But she huffed and spoke up. "So what if I did? Do you have any idea how unhappy that man is? What he's been through? Am I really -that- terrible for me wanting to bring him a little bit of happiness? And I did that for you, you know? I thought that if Narcissa was happy again, she'd let you see Draco more often!"

"As if you'd even think of that!" Lucius said, scoffing at this idea. "She's my wife! How would it look if they'd suddenly started to date!"

Mina frowned, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why would you care, Lucius? You have me." She said softly, talking more to herself than to her lover.

"That is not what I meant, stop twisting my words!" He barked at her. "I'm just talking about how it would look! I have a business circle and they need to respect me! I told you before that sorting probably sorted you wrong, you're thinking like a true Slytherin!"

"No, I don't! You're just too selfish, too jealous to see! You want to pretend you changed, Lucius, but you didn't! You're just was mistrusting and short-sighted as before! And if you think that that will go without consequences, you're wrong! Draco is happy with his new passion! And if you're going to take that from him…"

Lucius didn't Mina finish. "I will not allow it! My son getting his hands dirty, working in the ground as some sort of disgusting slob!"

"So that's how you feel about my brother? He's a disgusting slob? I'll probably seem downright filthy to you, aren't I? Scrubbing your house, with my own bare hands!" Mina yelled, her voice shrill with frustration and anger.

"As if you're not here for my money! There is a word for girls like you, but I'm too high in status to use it!" Lucius snarled, but closed his mouth when he realized the mistake he made.

"I'm a whore, that's what you're saying." Mina mumbled, staring at the wooden wall.

"Duckling…" Lucius whispered softly, his anger evaporating when guilt took over. Was this too far? Did he lose her? The questions raced through his mind and he was so afraid for her response. Part of him knew this was good, it meant that he didn't want to lose her. He could only hope that she thought of this the same.

"I quit." Mina said plainly and turned to leave, but Lucius grabbed her arm and turned her back around. "You won't! I-I need you!" He said firmly but Mina could hear the tremble in his voice. Part of her was glad to hear that he was honestly afraid to lose her. But was it enough to stay?

"You need me? That might be true, Lucius. But I don't need you." Mina answered, staring at him intently. Again Lucius scoffed. "So you're giving up your education? You won't be able to stay at Hogwarts without me, duckling. Don't do this, don't be stubborn." Lucius said, in a soft tone this time. He was trying to sweet-talking her into staying, Mina realized, while also pointing out that she did need him. For a moment, she was disgusted.

"No, Lucius. I don't. And I will graduate from Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore started a funding amongst the teachers. Professor Snape told me, while he was here. They all put in money and with that, I can pay for my remaining tuition. It's already been done. So you're getting back everything you invested in me so far. They wanted to give it to me at first, since I did work for that money, but I said no. That's how much of a Slytherin I am."

Lucius fell silent. He had no more ammo to fire at her. She truly wasn't interested in his money, he realized.

"Duckling, I-I…" He started, after swallowing hard. "Yes?" Mina asked plainly. She wasn't about to forgive all this so easily.

"I'm so sorry. I'm shaken up about the whole thing with Draco and….I blamed you while I shouldn't have. It's difficult for me to see Narcissa with Severus. But that's not because I still want her, I feel like he's taking over my old life and I need to…work through that." He said with a sigh. Now Mina softened. Now that it felt that Lucius opened up to her, about his struggles, it was hard for her to be harsh towards him. She shook her head, not knowing what to do or say.

"I've been practicing something, can you please come with me to the garden, so I can show you?" Lucius asked, eagerly clinging to that last sliver of hope he saw in her eyes.

For a few moments, Mina didn't answer, thinking this over. Then she sighed and mumbled some sort of agreement. She may have spoken firmly, but the truth was that she really didn't want to give up this thing between her and Lucius. She loved him dearly and having to learn to live without him was not something she'd willingly choose.

Lucius smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her down the stairs and into the garden, like he suggested. He was able to show her in the house, but he hoped that the open air would add to the effect of what he had planned. They walked to the pond and in the distance, they saw Draco and Clint removing weeds from between the plants.

For a moment, Lucius frowned, but took a deep breath and didn't speak of it. Since Narcissa and Severus were seeing more of each other, Draco was allowed to visit when he wanted to, which made a lot of things less complicated. But he had been very prone on learning Clint's trade and Lucius was less excited about this. He couldn't imagine his son working with his hands, but if he commented on it then he might lose the boy again. But this was not the time to worry over it, he needed to ensure that the girl wouldn't leave his side. It would be too hard to live without her, now that she nestled herself into his life like this. Even though she wouldn't be working here anymore, he had to think of a reason for her to stay.

"So….the pond….I've seen this. From up close, actually." Mina stated, looking around. She didn't understand why Lucius brought her here.

"Patience, duckling. Give me a few moments." Lucius replied with a small smirk, taking a deep breath and concentrating. He thought of how Mina brought Draco back to him in a way, how she got Narcissa to forget about bringing him down, how intense and heated his sex life was now. Then he pointed his wand said the spell that he never used before.

"Expecto Patronum!" He said loud and clear and silver threads poured out his wand, landing nearby and forming a guardian. Mina's jaw dropped, she was brought up with the notion that most Death Eaters had never been able to produce a Patronus. When she recognized the animal, tears of happiness welled up in her eyes. Four silver little ducklings were happily trotting around, playing in the water of the pond in front of them. Lucius had hoped for this, the scenery completed his little plan perfectly.

"Do you see, duckling? This is how happy you make me. How important you are." He urged her, squeezing her hand after holding it. He planted a kiss on it and stared into her eyes. Mina looked from him to the ducklings and back and rushed into his arms.

"That's'so beautiful, thank you." She whispered, her voice hoarse from wanting to cry happy tears.

Draco and Clint heard the spell and came to inspect. Clint grinned wide. "A nice Patronus, sir, well done." He complicated the man while rubbing the dirt of his hands with a handkerchief. Draco seemed excited as well. "Well done, father! They look amazing! Clint taught me how to remove weeds just now, the garden looks well again." He said eagerly, looking at his father for praise.

"Great, Clint is a very good teacher." Mina said excitedly, urging Lucius with her eyes to do the same. Lucius smiled. "That's great, son, I'm glad that you found a purpose! Show me what the two of you did?" He asked and Draco led him towards the little patch that he and Clint just cleaned up.

"So….a Patronus. For you." Clint mentioned to Mina, tilting his head at her. "That's big. Right?"

"Yeah, it is." Mina said softly, wiping a few tears from her cheeks. It really touched her. But Clint seemed less impressed.

"But no announcement yet. Minnie, this isn't enough. You know that, right?"

"Clint, stop. Just focus on Draco, okay?" Mina retorted, sound aggravated about Clint questioning the romantic gesture.

"The kid's doing great, no trouble there. We're going to Snape later, to work in his yard. We might start an actual little company together, the kid has a lot of ideas that I didn't think of." Clint calmly explained, trying to hide how excited he was. He didn't want to get riled up before they had any real results, but it was difficult to stay calm.

"That's great, Clint, I'm sure Draco will be so happy. Lucius told me about him, the last few years on Hogwarts he was miserable all the time. Now he's finally smiling again."

"I'm glad to see him smile too. I just wish I saw you do it too. Don't take my word for it, I want you to be happy, even if it's with this guy. But…I want more for you. That's all."

"I know, thank you." Mina answered with a sigh.

Later that day, Mina returned to Hogwarts, since she wanted to catch up on some schoolwork. At least that's what she told Lucius. The truth was that wanted time think. About him, about them.

She found the spiral staircase that led to the fifth floor, where the Ravenclaw common room was situated. Before she entered, the knocker in the shape of an eagle gave her a riddle.

"Good afternoon, miss Harper. Your riddle is….why does love need sunglasses and a cane?"

Mina frowned, thinking it was very strange that the knocker asked her about love. Why did it do that?

"Sunglasses and a cane? Huh?" She asked the knocker out loud. But it gave her no hint, it just patiently waited for the answer.

A cane….it made her think of Lucius. Then the answer hit her. "Because love is blind." She answered and the door swung open for her.

Carla looked up from her books when Mina came into their bedroom, a wide smile on her face. She got up and gave her friend a big hug. Mina chuckled and hugged her back, surprised by such a warm welcome. The answer of the riddle kept racing in her head but she tried to suppress it.

"Mina! Marvellous Mina!" Carla exclaimed and twirled around with her friend in her arms. Mina laughed even harder now as they danced around the room.

"Carla, what's going on? I haven't seen you like this in ages!" She told her as they fell on Carla's bed, exhausted from their antics.

"I did, Mina! Over the Christmas holidays! First I told Mickey about my parents! He was very understanding. Then I went home, marched into my father's study and told him that I was dating Mickey. It was a little awkward that I brought him without telling them first, but I think they understood!" Carla told her, her eyes gleaming with the memory.

Mina squealed in amusement and clapped her hands. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, Carla! I'm sure Mickey is happy as well." She stated, finding her own bed and unpacking her bags.

"Oh yes, he was so heartbroken, I felt so bad for the guy. He really is a very nice boy. I was afraid that he didn't want to try anymore, but luckily he did! Did you hear about Snape, by the way? Some students are saying that he's in love, he hasn't shown up to Hogwarts in two weeks! Some say he's just not eager to start school again, but I know better! What other distraction than a woman, am I right? Who do you think it is? Maybe it's another teacher!"

Mina smiled weakly, as her friend babbled happily. She wasn't going to reveal she knew Snape's new flame, she didn't want to embarrass him in any way. But the fact that everyone around her was so in love and sure of their feelings, made it even harder to think of her and Lucius.


	26. Chapter 26 - It's only forever

"So, I have to return to the Underground soon, Sarah. I've been away too long already." Jareth said softly as he looked at Sarah, sitting next to him on the couch in her little cottage. Sarah swallowed hard. She was afraid of this. Was this it? Was it over? "But I've enjoyed my stay profusely and…" He continued but didn't finish his sentence.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. So did we. Mina, Clint, me." Sarah answered, her voice becoming thick with uncried tears.

"It was an honour to meet them." Jareth stated and cleared his throat, not knowing what else to say.

They sat in silence a few moments more, before Jareth shot up and got his cloak.

"Wh…what? You're going now? I thought we had more time!" Sarah exclaimed, clearly perplexed. Jareth looked back at her, raising a brow.

"Sarah, I'm a ruler. I have to rule my kingdom."

"But I don't want you to go!" By now, Sarah was crying. "I just have you back, I haven't seen you in seventeen years! I-I….I want to work this out…"

Jareth tilted his head. "You're a fickle girl, Sarah. I can't make an agreement with you, knowing you'll come back on it within a week."

"I won't!" Sarah said in a raised voice, also standing up now. "Jareth…I…these days were so wonderful! Did you just use me, to have a warm body while you visited?"

"Never!" Jareth growled at her, seeming very insulted now. "I love you, Sarah! With all my heart! But you broke it, more than once. It's…hard. I'm worried you'll do it again. So I'm going. Alone."

Jareth took out a crystal and mumbled some sort of spell, that would teleport him back to the Underground. Sarah narrowed her eyes when she saw it and made decision at the very last second. She quickly grabbed hold of him and said out loud: "I wish I could come with you!"

There was a flash and then the little cottage was empty.

In the Underground, goblins were scattering about the palace, doing their best to finish all the chores that were assigned to them. One of the hairy little creatures was sitting between the silverware, polishing it with a rag cloth, cackling when a few chickens flew by. Another one was cleaning the table from scraps, throwing them in a large burlap sack. The goblin behind him was reaching into that bag every time the first goblin threw food in there, to take it back out and eat it. In the middle of the dining hall, Hoggle was shouting directions at everyone.

"You ova there! Stop eating the left overs! We have to feed the chickens later! Don't make me come ova there!" He yelled, shaking his little fist at him. Then he pointed at a few goblins that were scrubbing the floor. "You three, hurry it up, alright? We don't know when the king will be back, this place has to be spotless!"

A flash of light filled the room, blinding Hoggle and the goblins there. When the light dimmed down, they saw their king standing in the room. They bowed and then all gasped when they saw that he wasn't alone.

"Sarah!" Hoggle cried out and ran over to her. The girl quickly sank to his level and hugged him tightly. "Hoggle! I missed you so much! How are you? I heard you married! And you live in the castle now!" Sarah replied excited, almost choking the life out of her small friend. When Hoggle started to cough she quickly let go. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

He coughed some more but then mustered a smile. "Yeah, I do live here in the castle. When Jareth is gone, I keep an eye out around here. Doing quite well, if I say so myself." He said proud, grabbing his belt with his hands. Sarah looked around and noticed that the palace indeed looked good. Of course it always looked neat and tidied up, but Hoggle really was able to steer the goblins in the right direction.

By Hoggle's answer, Sarah was reminded that she came here with Jareth. Against his will. She turned back around to face him, seeing him standing there with a scowl on his face.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" He asked, a tremble of anger in his voice. Hoggle picked up on the atmosphere and quickly left, ordering the goblins to follow him. Within a few seconds, the dining hall was empty, except for Jareth and Sarah.

"No. Well, yeah. I want you. I want us." Sarah said casually, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh and what Sarah wants, she gets, is that it?" Jareth asked her, eerily calm, starting to circle her as if he was a predator that was honing in on his prey.

"You want this too, Jareth. You enjoyed your time at Lucius's manor, with Clint and Mina." Sarah pointed out, feeling a mixture of fear and arousal, which mentally brought her back to her first meeting with Jareth.

"Yes, I enjoyed my time. With them." He replied, narrowing his eyes at her. Sarah looked down, hurt. "So not with me, that is what you are trying to say." She mumbled.

"Yes, that is what I'm trying to say!" Jareth shouted, circling her faster. Sarah eyed him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"What did I do to deserve this, Jareth? You can stay angry with me, for how I handled things, but I was a child. I did what I thought was best. I lied to Bill to keep Mina safe. You saw him, you know what he would have done to me and to her. I'm angry too, about the power he had over me."

These last words only seemed to spark more anger in Jareth, since Sarah had always been so adamant about him not having any power over her.

"You'd never hurt me like that, Jareth, that's what I mean. He used force. I never felt safe with him. I feel safe with you. You can't disappear from Mina's and Clint's life now, they've grown to love you. So we have to find a way to deal with each other. I'm opening my heart to you. I never stopped loving you. I just didn't know that it was love, back then. But I do now. And I want it all. You'd be welcomed into my home. I'd move here, if that's what you wanted! I'd follow you everywhere, nothing can stop me. How can I be any more clear to you?" Sarah ranted, feeling desperate to not lose Jareth this time. She lost him twice, it wasn't going to happen again.

Jareth's face had remained stoic while she spoke, but on the inside his feelings turned and turned throughout his body. Why was he being so stubborn? Why was he so hot and cold the whole time? Did he want revenge? For what Sarah put him through? That meant that he was acting like a fifteen year old girl. And for a king…that was quite petty.

"Would you really? Move here for me?" Jareth asked her, cupping her face with a gloved hand. Sarah closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, gently caressing his hand.

"In a heartbeat." She confirmed and a few tears fell from her eyes. "Wait…would I still be able to see Clint and Mina? Can we go back and forth?" She asked him, her eyes wide in fear. Did she spoke too soon? She was prone on not letting Jareth get away this time, but she wasn't going to give up her children to do it.

After a few moments that seemed like forever, Jareth smiled. "We'd be able to work this out, I believe." Then he frowned. "Sarah, there will be a lot to think about. I age differently than you do, for instance. We can request the Grand Council to make you a fae as well, but I can't guarantee that they will oblige."

"A Grand Council? I thought you were king?" Sarah asked confused. She thought Jareth was the highest authority of the Underground.

"I answer to the Grand Council. I am king of the goblins, but the Underground has more sectors than just the Labyrinth." Jareth patiently explained.

Sarah sank down on a nearby chair, that was completely silver, with a large diamond in the middle. "But that would mean that we'd age differently from Mina and Clint. I'd have to see them die at some point…" She said softly and cried in her hands at this thought.

Jareth sighed and dropped to his knees, grabbing her hand and consoling her. "This is why I was keeping you at a distance. I didn't want you to have to make this choice." He admitted, feeling tears prick behind his own eyes as well.

"Can't we ask this council to make Mina and Clint fae as well?" Sarah asked, hope in her voice.

"We can." Jareth replied. "But what about Lucius? What about any partner that Clint will find? What about Draco? And Carla? It will be difficult one way or another."

The difficulties were on the table now. Finally they were both completely honest with each other and about how they felt. Sarah realized this was going to be difficult for all of them, but she truly felt that Jareth was worth it. The thought of trading her little cottage, where she spent so many hours crying and in pain, was an appealing thought. This palace brought her excitement, love and friendship. She hoped with all of her heart, that Clint and Mina would feel the same.

To make Sarah and himself feel better and get their minds off these difficult questions, Jareth ordered for a grand ball. Of course his request caused a bit of chaos here and there, but the goblins and Hoggle were determined to make it the most wonderful event that Sarah ever attended. After a few nights, which she gladly spent with Jareth, the event itself came around.

"Oh you are going to look wonderful!" A small elf-like woman cried out as she washed Sarah's hair, while she took her bath. At first Sarah had denied any offer of having a personal handmaid, saying she was perfectly capable of handling herself. But Jareth insisted that she knew this luxury, at least for a little while. He saw the shabby living conditions she was in, during his time on Earth and he wanted better for the woman he loved.

"Thank you, Cassandra, for everything." Sarah told her, smiling at the pink-skinned creature. She truly was a thing of beauty. Her skin was a very light shade of pink and her white hair sparkled, as if it had diamonds in it, just like the delicate wings attached to her shoulders.

Meanwhile Jareth was bathing as well, a male elf washing his hair for him. He felt butterflies in his stomach, looking forward to their evening together. But a heavy feeling weighed on his heart. This was going to be hard for them, no matter how this played out. He wasn't even sure if any of them would be made fae, with the exception of Mina. Mina was his daughter, after all. And the heir to the throne. But Clint and Sarah weren't related to him.

"I am lost, Avery. What is there to be done?" He asked the elf with a sigh. The elf had been his trusted ally for centuries now, he knew Jareth inside and out. He knew what Sarah caused in the Labyrinth and how Jareth felt about her.

"Your majesty, if you truly love her, then it's wisest to keep her close as long as possible. It will not be possible to make you a mortal man. From my point of view, asking the council to grant her a fae-status is the only option." He said delicately, his green skin covered in suds from the soap.

"If they deny her…I'll be lost. She's been here a few days and already I am lost in her eyes again." Jareth remarked, but it was obsolete to tell Avery this. He had seen it the moment he laid eyes on them.

"Perhaps its best to enjoy tonight, your majesty. And put these questions off, until you need to answer them. The solution will come to you." He advised and Jareth smiled. "Good idea, Avery."

Once both Jareth and Sarah were bathed and clothed, they met each other in the grand hall of the palace. It was like Sarah remembered. There were white curtains, sparkling with silver embellishments, white tables and chairs at the sides of the room. Certain parts of the room were deeper than others and they were riddled with pillows of every possible colour. Between everything, the guest were dressed in their absolute best gowns and suits, wearing eerie and beautiful masks to top of their look. Jareth's staff members walked around with trays filled with glasses and food and everyone was clearly having a wonderful time.

In the middle of the room, a large staircase led upstairs, splitting into two staircases going in opposite directions and some point. From the right, Jareth appeared from behind the door, wearing a pair of black pantaloons, topping it with a dark-blue blouse, riddled with little specks of silver. From the other end, Sarah appeared as well. She smiled when she looked around, slowly descending from the staircase. Jareth did the same and smiled as well, when he saw how beautiful Sarah looked. She wore a white gown, her hair was decorated with little white combs and ribbons, giving a very full and voluminous look. This time, Sarah did not feel out of place in this room. She felt like she belonged here. Jareth held out his arm and Sarah accepted it, going down the last part of the staircase together as the crowd clapped to celebrate their presence.

Once they descended from the last part of the staircase. Jareth bowed to the crowd and raised the glass of pink champagne that was handed to him.

"Friends, I welcome you all. It brings me great joy to see you all here tonight, celebrating this evening together. I want you all to meet lady Sarah, of the Aboveground."

Sarah bowed as well, once Jareth introduced her and it was noticeable how comfortable Sarah felt in this setting. The crowd applauded her and Jareth and the king declared that the evening had officially commenced. As he twirled Sarah around and around, dancing like they used to do, he softly sang to her.

"It's only forever….not long at all."


	27. Chapter 27 - Not long at all

Time passed, Sarah returned home and Jareth stayed in the Underground to see what possibilities they had to turn their mortal statuses into fae ones. They agreed that Sarah would visit Lucius, so she could carefully prepare Clint and Mina for what was about to come. That way, Clint and Mina would be able to think it over without pressure, they hoped. Jareth had gifted Sarah with a crystal, which they could use to talk to each other, while not being in the same realm. It was surreal to Sarah, but at the same time it was so familiar.

Mina's weekends with Lucius were strangely rather unbothered these days. Since Mina was no longer employed with Lucius, she could safely visit without having to uphold pretences. Lucius finally informed the staff of what was going on between them and they kept their opinions to themselves, like true professionals. Mina and Lucius no longer spoke of Lucius announcing their relationship to the wizard community, since Mina didn't want to fight anymore.

Severus and Narcissa were becoming closer and closer, which allowed Draco to freely visit Lucius when he wanted to. Although he didn't approve of his father's relationship with the young muggle girl, he agreed to not bring it up if Lucius could accept his choice to work as a gardener. That had been a smart negotiation on his part, Lucius thought. As a true Slytherin would.

On an afternoon in February, Sarah came for a visit, as agreed with Lucius. She had informed her of her plans by owl and asked him not to reveal anything to her son and daughter just yet. Since Mina proved to be a delightful distraction, this had been easy for Lucius.

When Lucius heard Sarah arrive through the fireplace, he feverishly kissed Mina, who was squirming underneath him. "We need to hurry, duckling, your mother is downstairs." He whispered in a hoarse voice. Mina groaned in frustration, she was ready to spend hours in bed with Lucius. She moved so that she was straddling Lucius and soon they both peaked with strangled, muffled moans as they buried their faces in each other's necks. Panting, they looked at each other as they untangled themselves from one another.

"Why is my mother here?" Mina asked curiously, since it seemed like Lucius was expecting her.

"You'll hear in just a moment, duckling, it's not my place to tell you this." Lucius answered, looking for his clothes.

"Is it serious?" Mina asked as she did the same and quickly dressed herself. She was anxious to hear the reason now.

"I really can't say, let's hear your mother out together, shall we?" The blonde wizard suggested and the girl agreed. Together they came downstairs, just as Clint was entering from the garden.

"What were you doing upstairs at this hour?" He asked Mina with a confused frown.

"Mind your business, Clint!" The girl hissed, not wanting to admit her activities in the presence of her mother.

Sarah blushed when she realized what must have happened and so did Mina. Awkwardly they stood in a circle around the fireplace.

"Eh…lets sit down in the den, shall we? Can I get anyone a beverage?" Lucius finally stated and they did as he suggested, mumbling they didn't need a refreshment this moment.

"Kids, I eh…" Sarah started to say, once Mina, Lucius and Clint were seated. She didn't sit down but stood in front of them instead.

"You look different." Clint remarked, eyeing her up and down. Now Mina noticed it as well, her mother was practically glowing. Her hair was shinier, her posture was less slouched and she seemed happier in general. Even though her years with Bill were in the past, Mina could see the traces they left in her mother's demeanour. For the first time it was different.

"I feel different, Clint." Sarah stated, smiling at them. "Hm." He hummed, a hint of disapproval in his voice. "Is it Jareth?"

"Clint, shut up!" Mina urged him and he huffed. "Fine, fine."

"Kids, I've spend a few days in the Underground, with Jareth and I had a wonderful time there." Sarah started her story. "And we talked about the logistics of the situation. Us here, him there and how we can maybe merge our two worlds. As you may know, Jareth is fae and we are mortal. Mina might be part fae, due to being his daughter, but we aren't sure. There is some sort of council running the place in the Underground and Jareth wants to ask if they will make me fae as well. That would mean I would move there with him. And we'd age differently. Now…let me finish…" Sarah continued and held up her hands when she saw that Clint and Mina wanted to interfere, "…I said that I would never move anywhere if it meant that I wouldn't see you two anymore. So Jareth suggested we'd put in request at this council, asking if the two of you could become fae as well, if you want to. But that would bring other difficulties. Lucius, we can make a request on your behalf, but then what about Draco and Narcissa? And Clint, you and Draco are just starting out this company together, so…yeah, it's a difficult situation." Sarah concluded and looked at her kids.

Mina swallowed hard and looked at Clint, unsure. Then she looked at Lucius, who was also pondering the situation.

"Mom, however this will play out, I think you should at least make the request for yourself, so you can be with dad. Right Clint? We want mom to be happy, right?" Mina rambled, looking from her mother to her brother and back.

"Of course, yeah, I want you to be happy, mom." Clint agreed, making Sarah cry. She hugged them both dearly. "You are such good kids, what did I do to deserve you." She said quietly.

"Well, I can only speak for myself, but I'd be delighted to make a request, like you said. Can you imagine, the Malfoy family having a fae-status, like the king of the Underground!" Lucius said in an excited manner. Mina frowned at him, she thought this was a rather inappropriate thing for him to say.

"But Draco.." She carefully tried to say. "Well, Draco would put in a request as well, of course, then we can both enjoy the benefits. That'll surely put an end to those silly pipedreams about being a gardener!" Lucius interjected, sounding rather condescending. Mina shook her head.

"How can you say that? In front of my brother? He's doing good work in your garden and so is Draco! And that boy has been miserable for years! He's finally smiling and having a good time and his own father is calling his passion a 'pipedream'! You should stop looking your damn nose down at people that work hard, Lucius! Not everything is about status and prestige!" Mina ranted, as she stood up and towered above Lucius.

"Duckling, this is not the time. We can discuss this when we're alone, later." Lucius said delicately, sneering at Mina.

"Sir, maybe we could discuss this now, since you're clearly not happy with my work." Clint replied for Mina, since the girl was too angry to talk at the moment.

"That is not the situation, mister Barton, I am rather pleased with your work. That is why I recommended you to Severus and to several other of my acquaintances."

"Oh, I see, so you just look down at what I do in general, got it." Clint retorted, giving Lucius finger guns. Sarah had a frown on her face as she watched them argue.

"I do not look down on you, I just want what is best for my son. And if you do not stop arguing with me, I will no longer employ you, Clint." Lucius hissed, glaring at both Mina and Clint now.

"Fine by me. I quit." Clint said plainly and wanted to get up to pack his things.

"Clint, sit down." Sarah told him warmly but firm. Then she turned to Lucius. "Lucius, I think Mina and Clint are right. Your son has been out of your life for quite a while. He found something that brings him joy, why look down on it? Even if it is just a fling, isn't it worth your love and attention? Shouldn't you cherish it, since it's so pure? I've not seen Clint for months and it hurt me a great deal. I don't want you to go through the same thing, especially not for the second time around."

"Thank you, for your insight, miss Harper." Lucius replied in a short tone. Clearly he wasn't appreciative of the advice that Sarah gave him.

"Kids, I'm going home. If you want to join me, then you know where to find me." Sarah told Mina and Clint, feeling herself getting agitated as well. They said goodbye to their mother and saw her off.

Once Sarah returned home, she took the crystal in hand and concentrated. Jareth appeared in it and smiled at her.

"Darling, how do you fare?" He asked her with a warm smile. Sarah smiled back at him. "I'm well, Jareth, how are you?"

They exchanged pleasantries for a bit before Jareth turned serious. "Have you discussed the matter with Mina and Clint?" He asked her, feeling anxious to hear the answer.

"I did. And they want me to put in the request, no matter how they decide. They want us to be together and be happy." She explained, feeling proud of her children.

Jareth smiled. "Such attentive kids. I'm sure they get that from me." He said and chuckled when he saw Sarah's surprised face. Sarah laughed as well, when she realized Jareth was just kidding.

"There is one thing though. Lucius is excited to become fae as well and he wants the same for Draco, but Mina isn't so happy with him at the moment." Sarah continued. Jareth nodded. "They will work it out, our daughter loves him very much."

Sarah nodded, biting her lip. She did love him very much. But did he love her? And did he love her enough?

"I will make the request for us to be together first, the council needs to decide on your status, but also if you will be allowed to become my queen and rule the Underground with me. If…if that is what you wish, of course." Jareth decided and held his breath as a silence fell between them.

But then Sarah smiled wider than she ever did, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Yes, I'd like that very much. I'll wait for your answer before I tell Clint and Mina, but I'll go and inform Tim from the pub. I sing there sometimes." She said, eager to end her old life and start her new.

"Wonderful. We'll wait and see what the council decides for you, then we can see how to work it out with Clint and Mina. I'll see you soon, my beloved."

"See you soon, my love." Sarah said kindly, still smiling at her crystal while Jareth was no longer at the other end of it.

Then she put on her coat and hurried towards the pub. Tim smiled when she entered, waving to her.

"Sarah! Good to see you! You're not planned to sing tonight, luv. Or are you in a pickle?" He asked, seeming concerned. Tim was a wonderful employer, he was always able to squeeze Sarah in if she really needed the money.

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Sarah replied with a smile. "Tim, I might have to quit."

"Aah, I see, is there a mister Harper involved?" Tim asked her with a wink and Sarah blushed a bit, chuckling lightly.

"You know me too well, Tim. Yes, I might move in with a man. A man from my past. He's truly and absolutely wonderful, but we're not sure about a few things just yet. So I can't give you a definitive answer at the moment. I hope that's okay." She elaborated without giving any real pivotal information. She didn't want Tim to think she completely lost it, of course.

"No problem, Sarah. However it plays out, I hope you'll be very happy. Don't worry about us, lass, we'll find a way to move on." Tim said kindly, slightly joking.

"If Mina ever needs a job, or Clint….can they count on you?" Sarah asked, holding Tim's hand for a moment. She suddenly felt eerie, as if a big bad thing was about to mess everything up and she wasn't able to shake that feeling.

Tim's frivolity made place for a serious tone and he nodded, squeezing her hand. "Always, Sarah. Always."


	28. Chapter 28 - All good things come to end

Days turned to weeks and before our heroes knew it, March arrived. Jareth put in the request at the council, like he and Sarah discussed. He hoped to have an answer for everyone soon, so they'd know if at least Sarah would be allowed to live her life in the Underground as a fae. Jareth wasn't worried about Mina receiving her proper status, but Clint was a different story. Still, they were all determined to fight for what they wanted.

Clint continued to work for Lucius, be it with less enthusiasm than before. He talked with Draco about Sarah and Jareth and they agreed to postpone any real decisions about their company until they had more certainty. Draco was aware of the tensions between Clint and Lucius and was at a loss of what to do. He noticed his father becoming colder towards him, but that was also something he didn't know how to handle. Working hard and working out ideas for later was his solution for now, which proved fruitful. The company started to flourish, as Mina happily and often pointed out, pun intended.

Mina and Lucius had a long talk and Lucius had been able to convince the girl that he truly cared about her. It took a lot of work, but finally she conceded. It wasn't that Mina was fully convinced, but she was mostly tired of having to listen to Lucius state the obvious. Yes, it was better not to let the wizard community know about them for business reasons, no, she knew that Lucius wasn't looking down on Clint. After a while the words just started to blur together.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, there was a knock on Lucius's study door. He looked up from his paperwork. "Come in?" He asked, wondering who it could be. Severus entered the room and gave Lucius a small nod.

"Lucius. I hope you'll forgive me for coming over unannounced. But I think we need to have a talk."

Lucius sighed and gestured towards the chair across from his desk. "Sit down." He said shortly. He hadn't fully forgiven Severus yet, for getting closer to Narcissa. Of course Severus knew.

Severus sat there and waited, since Lucius continued with his paperwork as if his friend wasn't sitting across from him at all. At some point, Severus cleared his throat, fairly annoyed.

"Say your part, Severus, I have work to do." Lucius said without looking up.

"Then pay attention." Severus fired back, in a firm tone.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at his friend, but put his quill back in its ink and put the letter that he was writing aside.

"You have my full attention." He told professor Snape with an obvious sneer.

"You, sir, are being a complete idiot." Severus blurted out now that Lucius was finally looking at him. Lucius opened his mouth but Severus gave him no time to interrupt him. "No. I am speaking. You are listening. You are being an idiot. If you want to continue courting this girl, then I suggest you make it public. Do you really think she's going to fall for your little stores forever? She's a smart girl, Lucius, she isn't going to keep giving forever."

Lucius shifted in his seat, uncomfortable.

"I remember you waltzing in her, telling me to stop courting her. Now you're telling me to court her more?" He finally asked, smug that he found a counter-argument.

"I remember that too. Back when I was still bitter and judgmental." Severus replied.

"Compared to the loveable little house elf you are now…." Lucius mocked.

"Lucius, I was wrong about Mina Harper. She's a treasure. Cherish her. She brought me and Narcissa together, so you could keep seeing your son. So I'd be happy, so she'd be happy. How selfless is that? And none of us ever even thanked her. She asks one thing of you and you can't do it. Do not lose her, Lucius. I know what that feels like and it took me nearly a lifetime to get past it. And you can sulk about me and Narcissa all you want, but I am keen on making her happy. If you wished her the best, isn't that what you should want for her? And Draco? You'd do well in praising that boy more often. We all fell short there, by Merlins beard."

Meanwhile, while Severus did his best to talk some sense into Lucius, Mina and Clint arrived at Sarah's cottage. Jareth was supposed to stop by that afternoon, to inform them about the proceedings. Both Mina and Clint were excited and anxious how this would play out. When they opened the door, they saw Jareth already sitting on the couch with Sarah. "Kids, so good to see you." He said with a smile as they entered. "I have good news. For all of us."

An hour later, Mina barged into Lucius's study as well, also surprised to find Severus there. "Professor Snape, so good to see you. How are you?" She asked and he gave her a weak smile. "I am well, miss Harper. And I thank you for your part in that." Before Mina was able to ask what he meant, he gave her a small bow and left the room. Mina was too excited to stop and think so she turned to Lucius.

"We're getting a trial period!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands. Lucius blinked a few times, before he was able to answer. "A trial period? What do you mean, duckling?" He asked her. Mina grinned.

"Mom can go and live with Jareth. If they're still together after 5 years, she can become a fae. Clint too. I can become one right away, if I want, since I'm Jareth's daughter and all. But I'm going to wait those five years, to finish school and see what I want to do professionally. We can work out the details then, to see what you and Draco want to do."

"That's wonderful, duckiling!" Lucius said happily and stood up from behind his desk, to hug and kiss Mina. "Surely you're not going to work, you're royal! Plus I am courting you, how would that look? I'll arrange a soiree to celebrate right away! Then we can make it known to everyone!" He concluded and again he missed how disappointed Mina seemed.

Lucius put a lot of time and effort into arranging his little gathering and soon the day presented itself. In the morning of the event, Mina put on her green dress, snake necklace and high heels, before putting the last few touches on her make up. Her stomach tied itself in a knot, thinking of the fact that she was going to be paraded around like some sort of trophy. With a sad sigh, she looked at herself in the mirror. Behind her, a door opened and she saw her friend coming into her room.

"Carla! Good to see you!" She exclaimed and hugged her friend dearly. Carla was happy to see Mina as well. "Mina, you look amazing! Very Slytherin!" She complimented Mina.

"You look very smart yourself." Mina paid it back, eyeing her friend's outfit. Carla was wearing a yellow gown, with a black lace covered top. "Are your parents here too?" Carla nodded. "Lucius invited them, I convinced them to come. Mickey's here too! Are your mum and Jareth here?"

They went downstairs to greet everyone and saw Narcissa and Severus in the crowd as well. They were happily chatting with another couple, both of them drinking some red wine. They found Sarah and Jareth and Mina introduced her friend to her dad, hoping he'd love her like she did. Luckily they clicked perfectly and they got lost in conversation.

Lucius stood in the middle of the room and tapped on his glass with his wand, enjoying the attention of the room to the fullest.

"Hello all, so wonderful to see you all here today." He started the speech that he prepared. Mina rolled her eyes. "I want to make a happy announcement to my dear friends and family. What started as a casual courtship has grown to become something much, much deeper. I want to share with the people who are dear to me, that I am courting miss Mina Harper. Proud Ravenclaw and heir to the throne of the Underground!"

Mina frowned. Grew deeper? They didn't grow deeper at all, she just nagged him until he caved. How was that growing deeper? And people who were dear to him? Not once had he called any of these people 'friends' or more. It was a charade. A giant charade.

"Lucius, I need to speak with you. Immediately, I'm, afraid." Mina interrupted him. "Duckling, I am in the middle of this, I wanted to introduce your father as well." He said softly, a little annoyed.

"I need you to listen to me and come with me for a moment. I'm sure you don't want me doing this here." Mina stood her ground, putting down her glass. The room turned very quiet and Lucius awkwardly cleared his throat. "Very well, if that is what you wish."

Lucius followed Mina to his study and Mina closed the door, before turning to him.

"This really is bad timing, duckling, couldn't this have waited until my speech was over? How is this going to look?" Lucius asked her, tilting his head at her. Mina finally had enough.

"Lucius I'm leaving you." She said it plain, as a fact. No accusatory tone, no emotion in her voice, just facts. It was a complete opposite if what Narcissa had done, but the result was similar. At first, Lucius thought he misunderstood and he chuckled a bit.

"What? Of course not, I just made the announcement! How would it look if…." He started.

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Mina now shouted at him, being fed up all of a sudden.

"Keep your voice down!" He hissed, stepping closer to her. But Mina didn't shrink. Mina didn't falter. She was strong and proud and was going to say her piece.

"No. You are going to hear this. For months now, all I hear is 'how would it look', 'how would it look'. Your son found a passion and you're worried about how it will look. Narcissa found love again, but you're worried how it will look. YOU found love again and you only agreed to acknowledge my existence when you knew what I was. I've always loved you for you, always. You never even said that you love me! Not once! Not to me, not to others! What will it take for you to open your eyes and see that not everything is about status? Those people in there!" Mina said, extremely agitated, waving in the direction of the room their company was in. "You don't even -know- those people! You tell them that we grew deeper, but all we did was fight! How can you live like this? Pretending and deceiving all the time? I can't even imagine how tiresome it must be, to be you!"

Lucius was dumbfounded. What just happened? He had no idea. But Mina got too close to the truth for comfort, so his first instinct was to give a counter-argument and fight her on this.

"Look here, missy, I've been more than welcoming to you and your family! I fired a lot more people for a lot less than what I had to put up with! Do you think that Patronus conjured itself?"

Mina shook her head. "Fine. The Patronus. What did you think about? To make that?" She asked, putting her arms in her sides.

"Our lovemaking, for starters! How you brought Draco back into my life! How you were able to make Narcissa back down!" He summed up, feeling agitated at the thought of losing her.

"So lust and benefits. That's it." Mina summarized.

"You are not going to make a fool out of me now that I finally gave in to your incessant whining! Get back in that room and…" Lucius started to say. Mina interrupted him.

"No. I'm leaving you. Goodbye, Lucius."

Mina turned around and left the study, wiping her falling tears from her cheeks. She noticed how Lucius didn't try to stop her. She packed her things and went downstairs to find her mother. "I want to go home." She said softly and Sarah nodded. They found Clint and Jareth and together, they left the manor forever.

Lucius made up some story, to hide what really transpired between them that day. With a stoic face, he told his guests at the party that Mina had an emergency happen in her family, that needed their direct attention. For weeks, he kept insisting that Mina was still his, without telling anyone what happened.

Clint kept working with Draco but refused to ever set another foot on Lucius's estate again. Draco understood, but was truly saddened about how it all went down. Even if his father didn't say it, Draco could see that he was hurt. And even though his father didn't understand his passion, he wanted better for him.

Spring came around and Lucius's garden was finally in full bloom, showing just how well Clint had tended to it.

When Lucius noticed that he had planted lilacs all through his garden and the smell penetrated his nose as soon as he set foot outside his house, he finally wept.


	29. Prologue The Black Rose ( Lilacs pt 2 )

**Prologue**

With a trembling hand, the figure in front of the burning fire picked up a rose from the deep purple vase that stood nearby. The harsh orange and yellow colours of the fire bounced off the blackness of the rose petals. The figure smelled the flower, before a sneer formed at his mouth. With a growl of discontent, he threw the flower in the flames and watched as the fire consumed it.

He was ready for revenge.

(( I posted the sequel to Lilacs! It's called The Black Rose. Please check it out! ))


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